MONTGOMERY, Ohio – A local 13-year-old listened to his grandfather's stories about riding a bicycle across America and decided he wanted to do it, too.
Then Christian Page got another idea – with his grandmother suffering from multiple sclerosis, why not use the adventure of a lifetime to raise money in support of a grand cause?
How's that for 13?
Seventy-one days and almost 3,900 miles later, Page admits it was harder than he thought, but this kid is so inspiring you have to think that someday his grandson will want to pedal across the country with him.
"He had done it 10 years ago," Christian said about his grandfather, "and I really wanted to do it from hearing all of the stories that he told me. It just sounded like a lot of fun. It didn't sound as hard as it was."
Christian Page with his grandfather, Gary Page.
Christian and his grandfather, Gary Page, started from San Francisco and rode to Yorktown, Virginia, on a route that included the TransAmerica Trail.
The trail starts in Oregon, but their more southern path took them through Nevada and Utah before joining the trail in Pueblo, Colorado
They rode for 10 weeks except for five days when it rained too hard.
They saw the heart of America, and Christian marked some of the moments on video. In Chester, Illinois, he shot his grandfather as they crossed the Mississippi River.
Gary Page enjoyed watching Christian's eyes fill with wonder.
"I remember describing Nevada to him. Well, when we are in Nevada and he looks around, he says the same thing - he says there's nothing here. But he says it a little differently when he's experiencing it," Gary said.
Christian also thought of his grandmother, Connie Page, along the way.
"I've just seen kind of how it (MS) affects her how it hurts her and I don't want anyone else to experience that," Christian said.
Christian has raised more than $7,000 for MS research, and he's going to continue fundraising until the end of September. You can donate to Christian's fundraiser for the MS Society here.
His grandfather told WCPO he was swelling with pride for Christian.
"I am. I am. He gets the credit," Gary said.
Christian has this advice for anyone who is thinking about embarking on an adventure.
"Do it," he said. "Just be ready, be prepared for what it takes to get there, what your goal is, and just do it."
