Local Athlete Spotlight: Q&A With Chris And Will Kush

FRANKFORT, IL — Some people were just born to ride — bicycles, that is. Or so it would seem for the Kush brothers of Frankfort.

Chris Kush, a 16-year-old senior at Lincoln-Way East High School, and Will Kush, an 8-year-old third-grader at Noonan Academy in Mokena, have a passion for taking their cycling skills as far as they can. In July Chris biked the Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West, covering 150 miles, while Will rode his bike earlier this month from his home in Frankfort to Starved Rock State Park via Old Plank Trail, a 75-mile trip.

The free-wheeling brothers sat down with Patch to answer some questions about biking and life.

Patch: When do you first take an interest in biking?

Will: When I was 7.

Chris: When I was 6 or 7. I saw my dad doing it so I just copied it.

Patch: Whom do you look up to and why?

Chris: My dad. He's always doing these crazy athletic things, and I guess I just want to try those, as well.

Will: My dad. He did the 75-mile bike ride (to Starved Rock) there and back alone.

Patch: What's your favorite memory from biking?

Will: When we entered Starved Rock we saw the lake and it was sunset. We saw the lake and the tress and the hill went down. It was pretty fast. Almost as fast as a car.

Chris: Riding my bike with dad along a trail near my grandma's house in Tinley Park. I was 8 or 9.

Patch: What's something that most people don't realize about long-distance biking?

Chris: The amount of stuff you should be packing because many people think you can just hop on the bike and just start biking. But you need a lot more gear. You need to be prepared because if you're 30 miles out on a 60-mile bike ride and you get a flat tire with no other replacements you're going to be screwed.

Will: That you should take breaks because if you don't then you probably will not make it and run out of energy.

Patch: What kind of feeling do you get when you're riding out in the open in nature?

Will: You experience a lot more oxygen, not like when you're riding on the street with the car emissions.

Chris: You experience a lot more calm because it's just you going at your speed, and you're not really worrying about others, unless you're on a road.

Patch: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while biking?

Chris: Endurance. I have a lot of endurance, but I'm still trying to build that up for these long rides especially.

Will: Going up very big hills without a lot of speed. So, when it's still flat I try to pedal hard.

Patch: Who is your favorite athlete?

Will: My dad.

Chris: I guess I'll copy that: My dad.

Patch: Do either of you have any rituals or activities you like to do before, during or after a ride?

Chris: I like to listen to very calm music. Music that has a lot of melody. Music that I find pleasant to listen to. "Island in the Sun" by Weezer is very calm.

Will: I did not listen to any music on the 75-mile ride to Starved Rock. I do like to have cheese and nuts for a snack, but I didn't get to have any on that trip.

Patch: If you could have dinner with anyone living or dead, who would it be and why?

Chris: Arnold Schwarzenegger because of the amount of stuff he's done and gone through, what he's done with weightlifting and his political and personal careers. It would be interesting to talk to him.

Will: Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well. I really like "Terminator."

Patch: What's your next goal?

Will: Going 100 miles on a bike ride to Chicago and back.

Chris: Maybe going across the United States.

Patch: What advice do you have for others who have an interest in long-distance biking?

Chris: Get a portable charger because if you are in the middle of nowhere and your phone dies that's not going to be great.

Will: Bring a mask in case you need to go into buildings.

Know a local athlete who should be featured on Patch? Reach out to Editor TJ Kremer III at tj.kremer@patch.com for a chance to be featured.

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