FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

To help raise money for wounded veterans and their families, a Eustis woman has organized a coast-to-coast bicycle ride.

WRITER: JAMES COMBS

How far would you be willing to travel and how much would you endure to help a stranger?

For local resident and personal trainer Tracy Draper, the answers to those questions are simple: 3,000 miles with possible thunderstorms, steaming pavement, treacherous mountains, and flat tires.

In 2013, the 48 year old organized Ride Across USA to fulfill a personal goal of completing a cross-country bicycle ride before reaching age 50.

After one year of intense training, Tracy and five other team members throughout Florida are ready to begin an adventure of a lifetime. On June 4, they will leave Malibu, Calif., and, if everything goes as planned, will arrive in Amelia Island on July 8.

Of course, the trip will prove to be much more than a test of endurance. Tracy decided to make her adventure a fundraiser for Hope For The Warriors™, a nonprofit organization that provides help to military men and women who have sustained physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty. She hopes the ride raises $30,000.

“Almost 90 percent of income that Hope For The Warriors generates helps support their 11 programs,” says Tracy, who has been an avid cyclist since 2010. “When I conducted research and realized how transparent the organization is with its money, I immediately wanted to make them the beneficiary of my cross-country ride.”