Biking 2,014 Miles In Memory of My Cousin Jonathan

May 20th, 2014 was one of the worst days of my life. On that day, I woke up to the news that my cousin Jonathan had passed away from a drug overdose at the age of 27. Jonathan loved adventures and helping others more than anything else. In order to honor his life and legacy, I am biking 2,014 miles (the year he died) on my own adventure along the Pacific Coast, from Canada to Mexico.

To anyone who was lucky enough to know him, Jonathan was a role model and inspiration. He was a star athlete in sports as the varsity football quarterback during his junior year of high school, captain of the wrestling and baseball teams, popular in school, an adventure seeker, immensely brilliant, kind, and loving. He got a scholarship to college and went to states in wrestling. He was voted most attractive in high school, had a high-paying job, a beautiful girlfriend and dog, and lived and worked on Wall Street.

His parents, my Aunt Jill and Uncle Mike, suggested that my ride be used to support NAMI, the National Alliance of Mental Illness - and also a non-profit foundation that I will be starting to help those suffering from chronic illness in honor of Jonathan. Jonathan struggled with insomnia and as a result of not sleeping, depression for most of his life. NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization and is dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental health challenges. The non-profit I’m starting is called Ride 4 Good, and works to support people with chronic diseases like Lyme and mental health illness through community cycling events.

I shared a deep bond with my cousin Jonathan. We both struggled with chronic health issues. Jonathan had severe insomnia and would go days on end with no sleep. For me, my struggle was and still is, chronic Lyme disease. Jon and I would often discuss new treatments we were trying at Thanksgiving or share the latest health books we were reading. He gave me the strength to fight through my own health challenges and was someone I could truly open up to about what I was going through.

More than anything else, Jonathan wanted to get well. He meditated, did yoga, ate healthy, drank smoothies, and saw countless doctors, among other things. When you can’t sleep for days, you try anything, and Jonathan later turned to drugs to help him sleep - one drug led to a more addictive one, leading down a slippery slope. Jon worked in finance on Wall Street in New York City, and after one bad trading day, he took the same dose of an opioid he had taken a year earlier before his sobriety, resulting in an overdose.

Jonathan was always fun to be around and made everyone feel special and welcome - he was bigger than life in so many ways. In addition to being loved by all, he was deeply committed to giving back to people who needed help. He flew to Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010 to help. He spent time in Africa where he volunteered at an orphanage. In New York City, when he passed homeless people on the street, he would give them money or buy them food.

It is the lessons that we carry from the people who are no longer with us that we can choose to live by to honor them. I can’t think of a better way to honor Jonathan than by doing my own adventure - biking along the Pacific coast from Canada to Mexico, and by helping others in the process by raising money in Jon’s memory.

Your financial contribution will help create a world where all people affected by mental illness can experience hope, recovery, wellness, and freedom from stigma. In honor of Jonathan, I am extremely thankful for any contribution you are able to make. If you knew Jon, I encourage you to post stories, photos, or whatever else you would like to share below to keep his memory in our hearts.

Link to Jonathan’s obituary here

More information about NAMI here

Donations are tax-deductible. Please note: 80% of your contribution will go directly to NAMI, and 20% will go to Ride 4 Good, the non-profit foundation I am starting in honor of Jonathan. NAMI will provide a receipt for its portion of your donation. Once Ride 4 Good completes its paperwork, I will forward a receipt for the portion directed to R4G. Of course, if you have a different preference, just let me know when you make your donation. Thank you for supporting this cause.