US man embarks on epic cycle in memory of Mayo grandmother

A young man is honouring his late Mayo grandmother’s memory and raising vital funds for lung cancer as he cycles over 3,600 miles across the United States.

Jack Owens will ride his bicycle from San Francisco, California to Ocean City, New Jersey with a goal of raising $100,000 for Ride Hard Breathe Easy. He began his epic 47-day challenge on May 20 and hopes to complete the arduous effort on July 6.

The Philadelphia native has strong connections to Mayo through his late grandmother Kathleen who passed away from lung cancer in 2011. Kathleen Matthews, formerly O’Connor, left Straide in her late teens for a new life, working first in the UK before heading for the States and settling in Philadelphia. Kathleen and her husband raised six children and had 19 grandchildren. 

“I will always remember how sweet, gentle, kind and caring she was,” said Jack.

Jack is following in the pedals of his uncle John who took on a similar cycle in 2017.

“Jack being Jack has to go a little farther than me,” John joked.

“It’s going to be hard but what Jack and I share is that we both have purpose. You’re doing it for something that is so important. I wanted to do something to honour my Mom and raise money to help lung cancer patients,” John added. 

They miss their mother and grandmother dearly. 

“Ours was a house that was always full of people and always filled with love," said John.

Jack is averaging about 85 miles a day as he traverses huge swathes of the country including the Rocky Mountains. This will be unlike anything Jack has ever attempted before but he will be supported on the route including by his uncle John for a section of the cycle.

“The first thing my Mom said when I told her about this challenge was, 'Well we gotta get you a bike,'" Jack laughed. 

You can follow Jack's progress and make a donation at rhbe.org.