NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A man is meeting an important anniversary in his life with an ambitious goal.
"It's a good time to reflect on where I've been and where I'm going," said Mary Fry, speaking to NewsChannel 5 between cycling. "Tour De France is going in my ear. I listen to a couple hours of praise and worship, and then I transfer over to Van Halen."
Riding throughout Thursday under a hot sun, Mark was in the middle of cycling for 125 miles. He racked up the miles in middle Tennessee, cycling in areas like Cornelia Fort Airpark.
"It's a lot of Gatorade," he smiled. "Just putting my trust in God that he'd see me through."
There's a reason why Mark's doing this. The story begins 25 years ago.
"I had some numbness and tingling in my right leg, and I knew something wasn't right," he explained.
Mark was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
"I thought about it probably five, ten times a day," he continued. "The biggest thing was, would I be able to walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding? You think the worst in the first couple of years, but you just kinda go about your life. You can't change anything by doing nothing, so I try to do something."
That something became cycling. With this exercise, his medications, his faith, the Tour de France in his earbuds, and the support of his family, Mark said he can take on those 125 miles.
"25 years ago today, I was diagnosed," he said. "I just thought it'd be fun to do 25 miles for each year and throw in an extra hundred for the fun of it."
Mark said in the 25 years since that diagnosis, he's seen a lot of days that make him so grateful. He did walk his daughter down the aisle.
"No cane, no nothing," Mark said. "I like to do this cause it not only gives glory to God, but it also is an opportunity to encourage others. I'd just say whether it's MS or another disease, keep fighting. Don't give up. Never give up until you have to, and even then, keep going."
