It was a tough, 1,615 mile trek, but it wasn't nearly as tough as the ordeal Ryan Cunningham's brother, Craig, underwent as he suffered arrest on the ice just before a Tucson Roadrunners game.
Ryan Cunningham finished his journey this past weekend from British Columbia to Tucson in an effort to raise money for Craig's charity, The All Heart Foundation.
"Obviously, it means a lot," said Craig Cunningham. "He trained real hard. He was very committed. It was awesome to see him go through that for me and for the cause."
On Monday, the Arizona Coyotes Foundation presented a check to the All Heart Foundation for ten thousand dollars.
Cunningham biked approximately 125 miles a day for two weeks. His journey took him from British Columbia to Montana, and then Idaho and Utah before reaching Southern Arizona, with numerous flat tires along the way.
Just 21 months ago, younger brother Craig was the Roadrunners captain whose life had to be saved by paramedics. The lower part of his leg had to be amputated, and his hockey career was over. Craig now lives in Tucson and works as a scout for the Arizona Coyotes organization while continuing his recovery.
Ryan Cunningham talked about what inspired the trip. "Watching Craig lose the ability to pursue the life he had been passionately after for so long, and seeing the way he coped with the recovery that he went through," said the older Cunningham. "He can still do big things."
The two brothers are working on an app called "Rhythm Core" that will enable people to know if they are at immediate risk of a cardiac event.
There is a Go Fund Me account to assist in Ryan's effort to reach his goal of raising $50,000 for the All Heart Foundation.
