The start of an inspiring ride

Deirdre Newman

The word “can’t” is not in Joe Sapere’s vocabulary.

The 61-year old has a ferocious appetite for life that has not been

dulled by a prosthetic leg. When he wants an adrenaline rush, he goes

skydiving.

His desire to live life with a vengeance inspired him to organize the

Amputees Across America ride, which pedaled off Saturday morning from

Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

Sapere and his two cycling partners, Jerry Suggs and John Keating,

will travel a total of 3,500 miles between now and July 21 when they

arrive in Jamestown, Va.

The plucky trio says they are riding from coast to coast to prove to

themselves that they can still lead active lives and to be role models to

other amputees.

“It’s an opportunity to demonstrate that a lot of things are possible

regardless of your individual circumstances,” said Keating.

They are also supporting fund-raising efforts for amputee support

groups that they are visiting along the way.

Sapere, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel whose left leg below the knee

was amputated after a skydiving accident two years ago, conceived the

idea for the ride last year. He invited Keating and then was introduced

to Suggs.

In addition to cycling 50 miles a day, Sapere -- who jumped out of a

plane 10 months after losing his leg -- is also going to complete 10

skydives to commemorate other amputees he meets along the way.

His bike, an 18-speed Cannondale, is equipped with the latest

high-tech gadgets including aglobal positioning system, a digital camera

and a heart-rate monitor.

Sapere’s niece, Alison Eastman, drove down from West Hollywood to see

her uncle off. Eastman said she is inspired by her uncle’s joie de vive,

despite a handicap that could sideline a less hearty soul.

“His challenge doesn’t define him,” Eastman said. “I think [the ride]

takes a real zest for life. We’re all living and have choices to make. I

would like to symbolically follow him.”

Keating, 40, a double amputee after he lost his left arm and leg in an

accident 21 years ago, has remained active as well -- cycling, weight

training and coaching youth soccer in Montgomery, Ala.

His yellow, recumbent bike is custom-made so all the controls are on

the right side, since he does not wear a prosthesis on his left arm. And

accompanying him on the ride is a friend who was with him when he had the

accident and was struggling to survive in a hospital in Sweden -- an

“Animal” puppet from the Muppets.

“I bought ‘Animal’ when I was a freshman in college. It was a good way

to pick up girls,’ Keating joked. “I knew [he] would come along for the

ride.”

Greg and Carol Gushaw, who have known Keating for more than 20 years,

came up from San Diego to see their friend off. Both said they are filled

with admiration for Keating.

“He’s a great example for people that have all their faculties and

complain about the smallest things without realizing how much worse it

could be,” Greg said.Jerry Suggs, who describes his age as “pushing the

hell out of 69,” lost his right leg below the knee in 1987 due to

circulation problems.

In addition to testing his mettle, Suggs is also doing the ride to

raise awareness of the needs of amputees in this country. Unless amputees

have a lot of insurance, they can’t always afford the expensive cost of

prosthetics, Suggs said. So he is trying to start a foundation to raise

money for those without insurance.

His wife, Joy, said she is proud of her husband for stretching his

own limits to help others.

“It’s exciting,” joy said. “But it’s hard getting it started.’

Although a heart flutter recently kicked up again, Suggs refused to

drop out of the ride. So he will alternate cycling with riding in the

motor home he lives in full time. Joy is driving it from coast to coast.

And so after an hour of heartwarming encouragement from friends,

family and some members of FAST -- the Functional Amputee Support Team of

Orange County -- the three cyclists, dressed in patriotic red, white and

blue biking shirts, set off in the early gray mist -- a small beacon of

hope and courage that will radiate across the country.

-- Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .