Utah Couple Biking Thousands of Miles to Raise Money for Veterans
KUTV | Maren Jensen | June 10, 2021 | Link to Article SANDY, Utah (KUTV) — Dean and Lorri Zenoni are gearing up for quite the adventure. The couple is biking the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route which stretches from the Canadian to Mexico border.”It’s going to be a little over 2,500 miles; we’re going to go through five states,” explained Lorri.After being packed with food, water, clothing, and equipment their bikes will weigh about 60 pounds. The Zenonis will gain about 165,000 feet of elevation. That’s just crazy,” laughed Lorri. “Even we say it’s crazy to go that much.” But all this “crazy” is for a good cause. Their ride will raise money for Semper Fi & America’s Fund.”They’ve been instrumental in my recovery,” said Dean, who is an injured combat veteran and served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 24 years.The nonprofit helps injured, wounded, and ill military members. For Dean, The Fund helped him find motivation and recovery through sports. “If I don’t exercise and do things, my injuries just deteriorate and get worse,” he said. The Zenonis have been cyclists for years, but felt this new kind of adventure could bring awareness to how going outdoors can help veterans with PTSD and other issues. “If we can get them outside and moving, it reduces a lot of that and brings more of a sense of normalcy for them,” said Lorri.The Zenonis invite any veterans who are willing to join them on any part of the route.The couple has been training for this ride since January in places like Arizona and Nevada and feel very prepared for the trip. “I’m just excited to get started,” Dean said. Dean is a bike mechanic and has been gathering spare parts to fix any issues along the way.They will start on June 11th near Canada and hope to finish the ride at the Mexico border by August 11th. Mountain America Credit Union donated $500 toward their fundraiser for Semper Fi & America’s Fund. If you would like to donate to the cause, you can visit their fundraising page. The Zenonis will also be sharing their journey on Instagram as well. You can follow them @zenlifeadventures.
