Danny Chew
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Paul Chew |
| Nickname | The Million Mile Man[1] |
| Born | August 26, 1962 Pittsburgh, USA |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Retired |
| Discipline | Ultramarathon |
| Role | Rider |
| Major wins | |
| Race Across America (1996, 1999) | |
Daniel Paul "Danny" Chew (born August 26, 1962) is an American former professional road racing and ultramarathon cyclist who twice won the Race Across America. He is also co-founder and promoter of the Dirty Dozen, an annual road bicycle race over Pittsburgh's thirteen steepest hills.[2]
Chew began cycling in 1971 at age 9, after being introduced to the sport by his older sister.[3] He completed his first 200 mile ride the following year.[4] Chew turned professional in 1985 and finished 12th in that year's national championship road race, the Corestates USPro in Philadelphia.[5] He was 25th the following year, and 16th in 1987. Chew rode as an independent or free-agent professional without team support in all three appearances. Chew is an eight-time solo RAAM finisher.[6]
On September 5, 2016, Chew was seriously injured when he suffered a dizzy spell while riding and crashed into a drainage ditch near Lodi, Ohio.[7] He was initially diagnosed with a broken neck and possible paralysis.[8] The following month, Dr. Elliot Roth of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago confirmed that Chew was permanently paralyzed from the chest down and would never walk again.[9] Despite having contemplated suicide in the weeks immediately following his accident, Chew suggested during the final days of his hospital stay that he would resume his goal of riding one million lifetime miles, albeit aboard a handcycle.[10]
Chew, who was diagnosed in 2016 with Asperger syndrome before the accident,[9] earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh.[1]
References
- ^ a b Price, Karen (January 22, 2010). "Million Mile Man Chew completes an epic trip". Trib Live. Trib Total Media, LLC. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Hamill, Sean D. (November 27, 2011). "Defying the Dirty Dozen: Cyclists take on steepest of Pittsburgh's steep hills". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Meinzer, Melissa (May 10, 2007). "Life Cycle - For Danny Chew, it's all about the bike". Pittsburgh City Paper. Steel City Media. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Donahue, Bill (November 22, 2016). "Danny Chew Won't Let Paralysis Keep Him From Riding 1,000,000 Miles". Outside. Mariah Media Network, LLC. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Zingaro, John (June 4, 1987). "Dr. Bike". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 10. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
He was the top free agent in the 1985 Corestates, finishing 12th, and the second highest free agent in the 1986 race, finishing 25th.
- ^ Adelson, Andrea (August 16, 2009). "Longwood's Steven Perezluha, 18, journeys to Alaska - and back - on his bike". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Bowden, Alex (September 6, 2016). "Two-time RAAM winner left paralysed after breaking neck in crash". road.cc. Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Hamill, Sean D. (September 6, 2016). "Dirty Dozen founder Danny Chew paralyzed in bike accident". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co. p. A-1. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ a b Hamill, Sean D. (November 18, 2016). "Twist of fate flips the role for iconic Pittsburgh cyclist Danny Chew". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Reid, Liz (November 25, 2016). "Now Paralyzed, Iconic Cyclist Danny Chew Plans For 30 More Years Of Biking". 90.5 WESA. Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
Chew said the first few weeks after his accident were hard; he even contemplated suicide. But now, with less than two weeks until he leaves the hospital, his focus has once again turned to his million-mile goal.