CHICAGO — Tommy Schneider's 1,200-mile solo bike ride from Chicago to Boston in 2015 is child's play compared to this year's planned quest.
The Rogers Park resident will pedal 3,000 miles from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., stopping at several cities along the way to teach school children healthy activities and eating options. The mission fits into Schneider's role as founder of True Fit, a nonprofit that shows kids throughout the Chicago area accessible forms of health and fitness.
Tommy Schneider shares details of his trip and how he battles fatigue.
"The whole purpose is to show them practical ways to stay healthy and exercises where they don't need to rely on high-cost equipment or a personal trainer, and healthy eating tips," said Schneider, 28, who's also an assistant basketball coach at North Lawndale College Prep.
"You give these kids positive energy, and they really get into it," Schneider added. "It's great every time."
Schneider's trip from L.A. to D.C. will begin July 6 and likely conclude around Aug. 9. His brother, James, will drive alongside in an R.V. so Schneider doesn't have to spend money on a hotel room.
His cross-country path will take him into Chicago, where Schneider said he plans to spend a night in his Rogers Park apartment, then take the lakefront trail south through Downtown and eventually into the East Side and out of the city.
Schneider rode from Chicago, starting at Wrigley Field, to Boston in 10 days last year. Schneider, who just started a GoFundMe for this year's ride and has a master's degree in sports administration from Northwestern University, isn't worried about hurting himself.
"My nerves right now aren't necessarily in play," he said. "I'm constantly living an active lifestyle, and am going to stick to my normal routine. That worked for me last year."
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