2,200 Mile Marrow Quest with the Garmin Edge 810

At the beginning of June our friend Steve Matchett started a journey to raise awareness for bone marrow donations, a cause close to his heart, by cycling the length of the Mississippi River. Steve was kind enough to take time off his bike to write a guest post for us about his inspiration to start riding and how his Edge 810 is helping along the way!

I’m Steve Matchett, I’m 72, and I’m biking the entire length of the mighty Mississippi to rally support for a great cause.

Throughout my journey I’m partnering with Be The Match^® and the Hendrick Marrow Program to raise awareness and support for life-saving bone marrow donations.

For someone with a blood cancer like leukemia or lymphoma, a bone marrow donation can mean the difference between life and death and 70 percent of those people rely on a bone marrow donation from someone outside their family. Often, a complete stranger’s bone marrow is the best match for them. Be The Match helps these patients find their match and get a second chance at life.

It’s a personal cause for me. Someone I was close to lost their battle with leukemia when they couldn’t find a bone marrow donor in time. Many people don’t realize that the power to make a difference, and to save a life, starts with a simple cheek swab. That experience inspired me to take action. So I blew the dust off my bike and hit the streets.

My journey began at the headwaters of the Mississippi—Lake Itasca—on June 9, 2014. After briefly wading in surprisingly shallow water (it only reached my ankles!) I pointed my wheels south. With the help of my trusty Garmin Edge 810 cycling computer, I began my 2,200 mile journey to the Gulf.

I’m using my Garmin to track distance, time, speed and altitude gains. One of my favorite features of the Edge 810, and one of the main reasons I purchased it, was the live tracking feature. This feature lets all of my friends, family and supporters track my progress. It really helps people feel connected and builds a spirit of participation around my ride.

Speaking of progress, since beginning this post, I have traveled 991 miles and am currently in Perryville, Missouri. At my current pace, it looks like I will finish my journey in late August. You can cheer me on and read more updates on my blog, MarrowQuest.org.

If you want, you can even join me via By The Mile for Be The Match. It’s a 100-day campaign to raise money that will help save lives.

Through By The Mile, thousands of families, friends, neighbors and coworkers across the country will hit the road on their bikes, rollerblades and skateboards. Together, we’ll show support, raise money and, most of all, have fun!

Thanks for your interest in my journey… gotta get pedaling.

-Steve M.

The post 2,200 Mile Marrow Quest with the Garmin Edge 810 appeared first on Garmin Blog.