He rolled past pain to fight disease

Kyle Bryant, 25, has Friedreich's ataxia, a disease that causes progressive lack of muscle control. He rode a three-wheeled bike to Memphis to raise research funds. Sacramento Bee/Paul Kitagaki

Kyle Bryant wasn't supposed to make it. Sure, he said he was going to ride his three-wheeled bicycle 2,400 miles from the California coast to Memphis, Tenn.

But the odds weren't with him -- and they haven't been for many years.

Saddled with a deadly disease that affects one in 50,000 and is slowly claiming his life, Bryant fought through the pain and overcame adversity to complete the journey.

As a result, a grant of $100,000 in his name will soon be awarded for research in fighting Friedreich's ataxia -- an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system and loss of muscle control.

It does not affect mental capacity.

Bryant, 25, has seen his speech begin to slur over the years, his vision and his hearing get worse. His weakening muscles meant less and less coordination as the disease tried to conquer his body.

Without a cure or powerful treatment, he has a date with death, cruel and painful and drawn out.

Bryant was determined to reach the Friedreich's ataxia national convention in Memphis at any cost.

He dreamed up his bike ride to raise money -- and awareness -- for research into a cure.

Back in Sacramento this week, Bryant said he raised $47,000 doing the ride.

When he got to Memphis, two major organizations tied to the disease -- the National Ataxia Foundation and the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance -- contributed $30,000 each.

Applications for the Kyle Bryant translational research grant in Friedreich's ataxia are due May 1, and the money will be awarded in June.

"The research needs a lot of money, and it doesn't get a lot of attention because it's a rare disease," said Bryant, who took nine weeks off from his engineering job at Brown and Caldwell in Rancho Cordova to make the trip. "We're the ones who have to get this research going."

Ron Bartek, president of Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance, said Bryant was "spectacular in Memphis."

"He did so much in terms of the awareness and funds he raised on his ride," Bartek said, "and in the conference itself, he was absolutely inspiring."

Bryant had his own conquering in mind when he sat feet first on his unusual recumbent bike and left La Jolla on Jan. 22.

He chose the town near San Diego because it's the home of the Scripps Research Institute, where promising research is being done.

Bryant said he met all kinds of characters on his journey, including a man who had been walking around the country for seven years with hopes of writing about his experiences and a bookseller in Arizona who manned his store while wearing a sweat shirt, a white beard, a hat -- but no pants.

His ride was a series of ups and downs, physically and emotionally. On days with steep climbs or narrow roadside shoulders, Bryant's spirits fell.

In order to ride safely on his three-wheeled bike, he needs plenty of room.

He kept a meticulous blog. Here is his entry when he traveled near Blythe:

We hit highway 78 and a slight headwind. The wind was no good. It slowed us down to a crawl, about 10 mph and my knee started screaming. All of this and then the shoulder kept getting smaller and smaller ... we continued at this snail's pace for another 20 miles. All the while, we were being passed by many, many motor homes and trailers. It turned out that this highway headed out to the Imperial Valley Sand Dunes ... All of the traffic was weekend warriors going out to the dunes with their motorcycles, quads and cases of beer. As the shoulder shrank, we had to ride off the pavement when there was a vehicle coming toward us and a trailer passing from behind.

Turns out, nothing was going to stop Bryant. Not the headwinds or the hills, the illness or the fatigue or the 30 to 40 flat tires along the way. Not the severe pain that shot through his left knee for much of the journey. Bryant made it to Memphis on March 22.

"He had his eye on his goal, and he knew there were a lot of people he promised he was going to do this," said his father, Mike Bryant. "He was going to stick to it, no matter what. It was remarkable to me."

Despite the ups and downs and troubles along the way, Kyle Bryant says he has emerged from the experience a better man.

"I just think it has made me a way more confident person," he said. "I know it's a cliché, but now I just feel now I can tackle whatever I put my mind to."

His timing could not have been better. Accompanied by his mother driving the van and his father bicycling next to him, he arrived two days early.

News of his accomplishment swept over the convention. He quickly became a source of inspiration for others with the disease, and he was a scheduled speaker at the event.

Recent advances in research suggest that a viable treatment -- perhaps even a cure -- is on the horizon. Bartek says four clinical trials for Friedreich's ataxia research will begin and hopes have never been higher.

"Our mission is to slow, stop and reverse the damage done by Friedreich's ataxia," Bartek said. "These clinical trials show tremendous progress in these three areas."

While cross-country bike rides are not uncommon, Bryant's trip was unusual because of his serious illness and the resulting physical limitations. Forced to ride a three-wheel bike because of his faulty balance, Bryant developed knee pain while training for his trip, and it only got worse as he made his way east.

By the time he got to Texas, he was close to quitting, the pain was so constant and intense. He consulted a doctor but found no relief.

By that time, the knee was so aggravated he could barely straighten his leg, and he was essentially propelling the bike with just his right leg.

Then, a machine shop in Midland volunteered to shorten the left crank arm where the pedal attaches, allowing less stress on the leg as Bryant pedaled.

The last-ditch effort seemed to work. Bryant pushed on and made it to the end.

His route even took him past Graceland, where he stopped for photos.