Man biking cross country for cancer travels through Maine

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – One man’s journey across the country found him in Bangor Friday.

Tracy Stephens, 71, is 24 days into his expected year-long bicycle ride through the lower 48.

During his travels, Stephens is raising money for the American Cancer Society.

“Cancer killed my mother, so I want to raise as much money as I can to help get rid of cancer,” Stephens says about the personal connection he has with the cause.

Stephens hopes to raise $50 thousand throughout the year he is traversing through the country.

He has raised just over $5 thousand less than a month into his circumnavigation.

Leaving his home in Binghamton, NY, Stephens loaded up his bike with clothes and camping essentials including a tent and air mattress to bring along for the ride.

So far, Stephens has traveled through Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire before arriving in Maine about a week ago.

From here, he is planning on going back through New Hampshire to get to Vermont.

His year-long plan is to go from east to west through the summer, journey the west coast in the fall, and the south through the spring.

With a loose daily schedule, Stephens says the adventure is about appreciating the small details throughout the United States: “The best way to actually go see some place is on a bicycle. You can cover some distance, but you’re still going slow enough to get to see things. I decided I wanted to see the United States up close!”

Not only can you donate to Stephens’ ride, but you can also view his progress through the journal entries that are uploaded.

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