In the heat of July, 275 cyclists set out on a week-long expedition cycling over 500 miles from Wagner College in southern New York to Niagara Falls in upstate New York. Mother Nature challenges the riders in every way possible. The extreme heat, the pouring rain, high winds, humid air, and cold nights test the riders. They push through, fighting to make it to the final day, when their families and friends will surround them. My dad, Jason Maher, is one of them, and he has set out on the Empire State Ride at the end of July for the past seven years.

For my dad, cycling is more than just an activity; it is a way he can serve. “I ride for fun, exercise, and as a vehicle to fundraise for clinical research trials at Roswell Park Cancer Center in New York,” he said. He has always enjoyed being outdoors and exercising, but he discovered he could ride for something much bigger than himself. 

The first organized event my dad rode in was in 2017. It was a fundraising ride for veterans suffering from PTSD. He realized then what an amazing thing it is to help others through cycling. “You may surprise yourself with what you can accomplish,” he said. At the finish line, you can see the pure joy on the faces of riders finishing, and the teary eyes of riders who know people suffering or who are suffering themselves, which puts everything in perspective. 

“I began riding bikes when I was about six or seven years old, and the first time I rode a bike was down the shore in Stone Harbor in a church parking lot,” my dad said. As a teenager, he would ride around either on a bike or a skateboard with his friends to get around. However, after he went to college and started a family, biking disappeared from his life. It was not till later in life that he hopped back on the bike seat and peddled away.

In 2020, he discovered the Empire State Ride, which raises money for cancer research, and riding in it has become an annual event. My dad, along with about 275 cyclists, rides 500+ miles over the course of a week, visiting many locations in New York. They camp outside and shower in portable shower trucks. Every year, the participants are truly tested mentally and physically, climbing the hills of upstate New York. 

My dad lost his mother and mother-in-law to cancer, so cancer awareness and charity work have always been a passion for him. “We drive six hours to Niagara Falls, New York, the edge of the country, to see my dad, and I am usually tired from the car ride, but when we get to the finish line, I become so energized from the people around me that I am not tired anymore,” said my sister, Sophie Maher. 

Fast forward to today, my dad is still cycling as much as he can, weather permitting. He rides almost every weekend, and my family knows that from eight to noon on the weekends, if my dad isn’t home, he’s out cycling. “During the weekends, we like lose a member of our family because my dad uses most of his free time riding his bike,” said Sophie. He rides an average of about 2500 miles a year. 

For the Empire State Ride, my family and I go to meet him at the finish line at Niagara Falls. Every year is very special, just as special as his first year, but this past year was particularly special because my dad was one of the top fundraisers for the whole event. This past year, my dad raised over $40,000 for cancer research. The Empire State Ride has raised 12 million in the last 11 years.

Whenever I ask the old man how many more years he’s got left in the tank with cycling, he answers, “Cycling is the fountain of youth.” I imagine my dad riding until he physically cannot ride anymore. 

My dad is so obsessed with bikes that he fixates over his next bike purchase. He explained to me, “Next March will be my 50th birthday, and I am looking to buy a red Cervelo S5, the Ferrari of bicycles.” His cycling continues to inspire me everyday.

You can donate to my dads fundraising using this link. All donations go straight to Roswell Parks Cancer Research.