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81 Year old Tom Cawood left San Deigo California on his bicycle August 24th with his wife following in an RV. They are headed for Saint Augustine Florida, in part to see if he can make it and in part to do some good. Six weeks later, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the couple’s destination is almost within sight.

When Tom Cawood was a preschooler with TB, he was told he’d be lucky to live to age 20. At 59 when he broke a hip, he was told he’d never ride a bike again, and seven years ago after a motorcycle accident, he was told to take it easy.

“Here I am 81” he told us upon arriving in Tallahassee.

Tom and Wife Pat pulled into the state Capitol on Friday, 250 miles short of finishing their three thousand mile trek from San Deigo to St. Augustine.

“There were times we thought this would never occur.”

Like when he was riding up an 8 thousand foot peak.
“it’s much more difficult than I thought it would be. But yet, its very gratifying.”

But there was one 13 mile stretch where he was able to coast downhill.

The bulk of his ride has been along busy US 90…

Q:”You got hit by a pickup truck, right?”

“At least part of a pickup truck. The side view mirror.”

Tom’s is quick to point out he couldn’t have gotten this far without Pat.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way” says Pat, who encouraged him to make the trip in the first place.

The Cawood’s have already figured out what happens next.

The couple has two trips to Europe planned. And Christmas with family in Miami. After that…it’s anybody’s guess.

“Life is like waterskiing. If you slow down, you go down” says Tom.

And based on what we’ve seen, that’s not likely to happen.”

When asked what he wanted to do at the conclusion of the ride, Mr Cawood told us he’s like to just sit on his deck drinking a cup of coffee and doing nothing…which even he acknowledged wouldn’t last for long.