Cross-country comeback

When Gregory Maassen was 51, a mysterious burning sensation spread across his body, eventually leaving him nearly bedridden and fearing for his life.

More than a year later, Gregory's neurologist diagnosed him with small-fiber sensory neuropathy, a rare condition affecting small nerve fibers. The treatment plan included medication, and one recommendation Gregory couldn't believe: exercise.

It sounded ridiculous to a man in constant pain. But realizing he didn’t have much to lose, he gave it a shot anyway.

After swimming and hiking proved too difficult, Gregory discovered e-bikes through a local cycling group. The pedal assist made riding more manageable, and within a few weeks, something unexpected happened: his pain started easing, and Gregory was hooked.

By 2022, Gregory had ditched his pain meds and traded short rides for a 4,685-mile journey from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. He averaged about 65 miles a day through snow, rain, mountains, and plains, all while pulling an ~80-pound trailer loaded with camping gear. Gregory ended up raising $179,000+ for neuropathy research in the process.

As if one coast-to-coast ride wasn't enough…This year, Gregory rode the ~7,250 miles from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Los Angeles, California, while raising $31,500+ for Johns Hopkins Medicine's neuropathy center. 

At 59, Gregory says it'll be his final cross-country trek, but not his final ride. Safe to say, his doctor's exercise prescription aged pretty well.