JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Minnesota husband is taking a 3,500-mile stretch from Key West to his home in Albany, Minnesota to help find a cure for breast cancer after his wife was diagnosed with the disease. The catch? He’s doing it on a bike.
Al Rezsel and his wife, Terry Rezsel, who doesn’t ride but follows her husband closely in their vehicle, have been riding for 42 days straight to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
This isn’t their first go-round either. This is the couple’s sixth time peddling for a purpose.
Terry is a 12-year breast cancer survivor.
“Once we got over that kind of initial devastation of that diagnosis and the family did, then she got through her treatments, we decided we wanted to do something to try to help find a cure,” Al said.
Al was inspired to create “Pink Pedals 4 a Cure” after his wife’s diagnosis.
The couple started their venture on April 1 at the Southernmost Point in Key West and have documented each day of their journey.
Terry said she’s amazed by her husband’s determination.
“He keeps going. He decides the night before where he going to end and he’s going to make it that far,” Terry said.
The couple briefly stopped by News4JAX while they were making a ride up from St. Augustine.
They said not too long after they married, they visited the famous Fountain of Youth for a drink of water.
With their 45th wedding anniversary coming up, they couldn’t help but visit again.
“We stopped in to get a pitcher and we were talking to some little kids and families that were there. I said, ‘I’m 64 years old, and I ride my bike across the county for the 6th time, so this works,’” Al said.
Whether the Fountain of Youth holds the key to cross-country success or not, for the Rezsels, the true drive is knowing each mile makes a difference.
The couple expects to reach Albany by May 13. If you would like to support their mission to find a cure, you can donate directly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at Donate | (pinkpedals4acure.org)
