Branford Man Will Ride 8,800 Miles Cross-Country With Team

Arthur Lillquist and his team partner Michael Dionne, of Branford, say they are preparing for a massive mountain bike ride to support the National Stroke Association.

For a grand, estimated total of 8,800 miles, including the BikePack Triple Crown, both men will ride their mountain bikes cross-country from March 2016 to November 2016, visiting hospitals, patients, youth groups, and more.

Lillquist suffered a stroke, when he was 20 years old, and since then has needed extensive care and medication to maintain the best quality of life he can, according to the GoFund Me page.

After an extensive recovery, Lillquist is back and better than ever, and is taking on this challenge of a cross-country bike trip to try and make a difference for others in similar situations, their page says.

Dionne faced health issues since the day he was born, when his doctors had to restart his stopped heart, their page says. His health has improved since his childhood struggles, and now wants to give back, and has teamed up with Lillquist to do just that.

Their entire trip will be documented by video to produce a movie documenting their entire journey, as well as posting updates online as they make progress with their trip, according to their page.

“We want to meet people along the way, [and] have people join us for any amount of time…

We want this trip to be as amazing and inspirational for others as it is for us,” the duo writes on their page.

Their goal on their page is $17,900, and they say the money will go toward equipment necessary for their trip, as well as other expenses associated with a nine-month journey, including food, shelter and more. They say all donations received will be recognized in some way, shape or form, depending on the size of the donation.

To read more about their journey, visit their GoFund Me page.

Picture courtesy of their page.