Stroke survivor Sean Maloney’s Heart Across America team of cyclists is nearing the finish line in New York City despite the devastating death of one cyclist and a fall that seriously injured Maloney.
A top-level Intel executive who was sidelined by a stroke in 2010, Maloney organized the 5,000-mile cross-country bike ride to raise awareness of stroke dangers and how to avoid them.
They started from Palo Alto on March 22, but Maloney fell off his bike 100 miles east of San Diego on April 5, and spent the next six weeks recovering from a broken hip and dislocated shoulder.
That was followed on April 25 by the sudden death of teammate Don Brennen. a 60-year-old retired AT&T database adminstrator from Pleasanton.
Brennen died April 25 in his sleep in in Jacksboro, Tex., near Dallas. The cause of his death was a possible heart attack with Type 1 diabetes as a contributing factor, according to his wife, Andrea.
“He took good control of himself” she said. “He had a test kit with him when he rode his bike, and checked his blood sugar before, during and after cycling. Being a Type 1 diabetic for the last 21 years, he always thought he wouldn’t live long.”
There were doubts about continuing the ride but she and her daughter Amy told the remaining team members they should keep going because that’s what he would have wanted.
“It was a rough time for all of us,” his daughter said. “They were not sure if the ride should go on, and if it did, in what form. My mom and I were convinced that my dad would want it to go on.”
Amy Brennen said her father was “amazingly physically active, whether cycling or wind surfing. It was far too early to go But I don’t think he’d ever been happier. He was calling this the ride of a lifetime and was having a great time.”
The remaining riders soldiered on, occasionally joined by others.
“At first, I didn’t know if I could do it,” said Brennen’s teammate and brother-in-law David Fisch. “But as we rode, we realized it was the right thing to do.”
The team is scheduled to complete its odyssey Sunday at 11 a.m. in New York City. Maloney is traveling in a van and may ride the final mile on a special bike. Andrea Brennen will join in the final lap.
The cyclists chose a meandering route across the U.S. Executives from Acer, Asus, eBay, Intel and HP supported them with 14 health and wellness events in 14 states.
Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell appeared with the team in Austin, writing a check for $100,000 to the American Heart Association.
Two days after the team arrives, the American Heart Association will hold its 100th anniversary Heart Ball in New York City, where Maloney is to be honored.
Contact Pete Carey at 408-920-5419 Follow him on Twitter.com/petecarey
