When it comes to inspiration for others, stroke survivor Dan Zimmerman prefers the long route — and he’s making a habit of it.
Zimmerman, 52, spent the summer with Hanover native Lise Neer and others pedaling more than 3,800 miles across the country in an adaptive cycling journey they called Sea to Sea. With volunteer drivers toting their 40-foot RV on a pickup truck and sleeping at parks and campsites throughout 15 northern U.S. states, the pair departed Anacortes, Wash., on June 4 and finished in Boston on Sept. 10.
It’s the third straight year Zimmerman has embarked on such a journey in support of Spokes Fighting Strokes, the Arizona-based nonprofit he founded to help empower fellow stroke victims. Taking advantage of low-traffic and scenic routes designed by another nonprofit, Adventure Cycling Association, Zimmerman in 2014 rode from Washington state to Florida’s Key West, covering 18 states over 5½ months and nearly 5,400 miles. Last year, he departed from his Gilbert, Ariz., home and covered another 15 states over four months in a looping pattern, during which he met Neer at a meet-and-greet with the Denver Bicycle Touring Club.
Aside from all of the exercise and scenery, the purpose of Zimmerman’s adventures is simple: to inspire as many fellow stroke survivors as possible while educating the general public about Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), the genetic disorder that caused his 2005 stroke.
Zimmerman rides a recumbent tricycle, placing him in a laid-back position on the seat. He credits extensive adaptive cycling in spurring a recovery process that didn’t appear promising at the outset.
“When I first had my stroke, I had no use of my right hand and it took a lot of extra time just to get up and get dressed, even just to get on my feet,” said Zimmerman in a recent phone interview from Colorado Springs, Colo., where the trikes belonging to him and Neer were receiving much-needed maintenance work following this summer’s long haul. “I wasn’t able to talk. I walked around the house with a walker, and to be outside, I had to be in a wheelchair. For years after my stroke, doctors told me I’d be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life with no talking. I proved them wrong.”
Zimmerman points to the cardiorespiratory benefits of recumbent cycling, which he says helped him regain speech and mobility. The former custom cabinet builder is now articulate and no longer wheelchair-bound.
“The great thing about (recumbent cycling) is it increases blood flow to your brain and keeps it oxygenated,” Zimmerman said. “That’s what your brain needs after a stroke. Plus it invokes a great sense of freedom.
“I’m independent when I’m riding my trike. No one is pushing me, and I decide whether I’m going to speed up or slow down, whether to turn left or right.”
Adaptive cycling was an interest of Neer’s even before meeting Zimmerman. Her husband, Joe Neer, died three years ago after suffering a traumatic brain injury during a cycling event in 2010.
“Getting him on a trike was something we had looked into to help in his recovery,” Neer said. “Unfortunately, he never got in good enough shape to do it, but it was something we knew about. That’s why when I met Dan last summer and learned about his story, it was so inspiring.”
Zimmerman shares that story with many during the course of his rides, organizing meet-and-greets like the one that introduced him to Neer and conducting presentations with question-and-answer sessions at rehabilitation centers. His message reflects that of Spokes Fighting Strokes’ mission statement: regaining strength and ability is possible with the right actions and attitude.
“What I tell stroke survivors is not to give up,” Zimmerman said. “You can beat the effects of stroke and TBIs; it just takes some work. My goal is to share that with as many people as possible and hopefully get them riding trikes, because it helps tremendously.”
Zimmerman and Neer covered roughly 50 miles per day during their Sea-to-Sea trek, first through eastern Washington and Idaho and into Montana’s mountainous landscape, where their first driver decided he was finished.
“(The driver) quit about two weeks in; I guess he decided he had better things to do with his summer,” Neer recalled. “We ended up getting Scott Ross, someone from Sacramento who we’d met through one of our Facebook groups, to come and take over. He flew to White Fish to meet us.”
Jim Jasper, a 76-year-old from Mesa, Ariz., also met the group in Montana and rode with them all the way to St. Cloud, Minn. In Wisconsin, they enjoyed a couple rest days on a potato farm where Neer’s high school friend, Gay Seidl, now resides.
Other friends joined them for parts of the journey. Mark Luffman, a Spokes Fighting Strokes board member, was there for much of it. When he left for a 10-day hiatus, he returned with his 84-year-old father, Bob, who stayed with the group for three weeks through their arrival at Niagara Falls, N.Y. Troy Danke, a fellow stroke survivor in his mid 40s, also joined for part of the ride.
Neer was the only woman, but sharing a camper with up to four men wasn’t the only challenging part of the journey. While the group enjoyed mostly pleasant weather, there was the occasional afternoon thunderstorm to cope with. The camper also required some unanticipated maintenance, including a new set of tires at one point.
“It wasn’t always leisurely,” Neer said. “We had a schedule to keep because we had campsites reserved and the presentations to get to. Some days were difficult physically, and emotionally, too, as you can imagine. But overall we had a blast, and we were determined to finish.”
Aside from sharing their message of hope and recovery with hundreds of people, the group was able to raise nearly $5,000 to help purchase a tandem recumbent bike. Zimmerman plans to occupy one of its seats while teaching others to ride in a Spokes Fighting Strokes adaptive cycling program he hopes will catch on nationally.
As for future rides, Zimmerman and Neer plan to take next year off before pedaling the Atlantic Coast, from Maine to Key West, Fla., in summer and fall 2018. Spokes Fighting Strokes is accepting suggestions for places to visit during that journey as well as a name for the trip through its website, spokesfightingstrokes.org. The current working title for the trip is “Maine to Margaritaville.”
“The first one he did, which also ended in Key West, was called ‘Road to Margaritaville,’ ” Neer noted with a chuckle. “If you couldn’t tell, he’s a big Jimmy Buffet fan. Even though he’s doing serious work, he likes to keep it light.”
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.