Rich and Joanna got started long-distance bicycle riding in Seattle. Rich was attending graduate school at the University of Washington. Joanna was working at a trust company in downtown Seattle. A few friends were riding the Seattle to Portland bike ride and suggested they join. Neither of them had any biking experience, but they began training. At first, riding just five miles was a challenge. They would slowly increase their distance every weekend. First, seven miles, then ten miles, and before they knew it, they were riding 50-60 miles each weekend. They were ready. They completed the 200-mile, two-day STP for the first time in 1993 and have been doing long-distance rides ever since.
Since those first days of long-distance riding in Seattle, they have dreamed of biking across the United States, but life never gave them that opportunity. Rich got a position at IBM, where he continued his artificial intelligence research. Joanna worked as a portfolio manager for several years before raising their three daughters, Leora, Annie, and Dahlia. They live in the suburbs of NYC with their two turtles — Flo and Eddie (ask them about the turtles; it’s a great story).
In 2021, when Annie graduated from high school, she expressed interest in doing a long-distance bike ride of her own. Rich took a month off work, and they rode together from Zion National Park in Utah to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The red rock, the views, time on the road, and the time shared together were unforgettable.
Today, Joanna is active in the community, volunteering at her synagogue and at their town’s children’s book festival. They both share a love for tennis and play on a mixed-doubles team together, which has gone twice to the National Championships.
Rich retired from IBM this year, finally giving them the chance to fulfill their dream of biking across the United States. Fittingly, they will end their bicycling journey in Seattle, where their long-distance biking journey all began.