Rick Patrick
ECB Publishing, Inc.
At an age when most would be content living an easy life sitting on the back porch, watching the sunset with a glass of lemonade, Paul Webb, 69, of San Clemente, Calif., has a different idea of how to spend these years of his life. Webb, a former professional athlete and corporate executive is spending the next couple of years riding his bicycle around the four corners of the U.S. in an effort to help others.
On Thursday, Feb. 16, Webb took a few moments to speak with Greene Publishing, Inc., before heading out of Lee, where he had spent the night before, on his way to Jacksonville, Fla. Webb started this trek in San Diego, Calif. in October of 2022. From Jacksonville, he will travel north to Kittery, Maine, then west to Walla Walla, Wash., then back south to San Diego, Calif. That will complete his second trip around the four corners of the continental U.S. After that, Webb will embark on his third trip.
Webb's purpose in this is to raise money and awareness for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). CAF is a non-profit organization that provides specialized equipment to athletes with disabilities in order to allow them to participate in sporting activities. This could be a special prosthetic, a wheelchair designed for racing, or any of a number of specialized pieces of equipment, for athletes of all ages; from children to adults. According to the CAF website, “since 1994, CAF has raised more than $147 million and funded over 40,000 grant requests from people with physical disabilities in all 50 states and 70 countries across 104+ different sports.” By soliciting sponsors for his efforts, Webb has raised over $81,000 and counting for CAF. Some people pledge a penny per mile that he travels, while others have donated a set dollar amount.
Webb credits a friend of his, who was born with only one arm and went on to climb Mt. Everest, as being his inspiration to tackle such a monumental feat. Webb's first fundraising ride came in the summer of 2021, when he rode his bike from San Clemente to his 50-year high school reunion in Neptune, N.J. That trip of 2,899 miles raised $30,000 for CAF. Webb has set himself a goal of raising $200,000 with his three trips around the U.S. Each trek around the four corners is approximately 8,000 miles.
Along the way, Webb relies on the kindness of the people he meets to provide a place for him to camp with his tent each night. “I usually start around 10 a.m. and ride about 35-40 miles in a day,” said Webb. “The trip around the country could be done in about eight months, and I plan to do it in 12 months. That gives me about four months of flexibility to deal with weather, take extra time to spend with family along the way, etc. I plan the trip to coincide with the seasons, taking the southern route from San Diego to Jacksonville in the winter, Jacksonville to Kittery during the spring, Kittery to Walla Walla during the summer and then back down to San Diego in the fall. That helps to avoid weather extremes, although I still ride, no matter the weather. I've ridden in snow and rain.” The start and finish of each “lap” of Webb's trek happens in October, in order to coincide with a big event held by CAF in San Diego each year.
To donate or to find out more about Webb's efforts, please visit his website at www.TheWebbWay.com. You can also order a copy of Webb's best-selling sales training book at www.thenumberonebestsellingbook.com. More information about CAF and the work they do can be found at www.challengedathletes.org.
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