Central York grad to bike across US for MS research

Kurt Rishel leaves on the 3,785-mile journey in June.

Central York High School grad Kurt Rishel will bike across the country starting in June to raise funds for MS research. (SUBMITTED)

When Kurt Rishel signed up to ride his bicycle across the country to support multiple sclerosis, he didn't know of anyone with the disease.

The 21-year-old athlete started cycling after graduating from Central York High School in 2010. He needed something to fill the void of competitive sports -- soccer and track -- and cycling became a passion.

Rishel has wanted to ride across the country since he read an article about someone who made the trek a few years ago. When he learned about Bike the US for MS -- a nonprofit that raises money for research and treatment -- he felt he had to get involved.

On June 1, Rishel plans to dip the back tire of his bicycle in the Atlantic Ocean in Yorktowne, Va., before embarking on a 3,785-mile ride for two months.

The nonprofit provides participants with route leaders who drive a trailer, where cyclists may store a few pairs of bike shorts, a tent, a sleeping bag and some nonperishable food in a 30-by-16-by-18-inch cubby.

Rishel will travel about 65 miles per day through nine states -- Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California.

He'll sleep in campgrounds, backyards and churches, and do his laundry in laundromats and streams. He'll plan meals day to day, preparing some on his own or grabbing a quick bite at a restaurant.

When he gets to San Francisco, he'll dip his front tire in the Pacific Ocean before flying home.

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Central York grad to bike across US for MS research