I was born in July 1969 and grew up in Miami, Florida, where I faced significant learning disabilities from an early age. For several years I attended the Easter Seal School in Miami, a place dedicated to helping children who needed extra support. Learning was always harder for me, but sports became the first place where I found confidence. Before I was ten, I began swimming competitively with the Sheeler Winton Swim Club, a program known for developing strong young athletes. That early discipline taught me how to push through challenges and laid the foundation for a lifetime in endurance sports.
In 1979, my family moved to West Redding, right on the West Redding/Ridgefield border, and that area has been home ever since. Even though I attended Redding schools, almost all my time, activities, and friendships were in Ridgefield — the town where I grew up, worked, trained, and built my life.
My connection to cycling began early. In 1983, I completed the Bloomin’ Metric 100 km ride, a milestone that introduced me to long‑distance cycling. In 1988, my father bought me my first Cannondale road bike from the old Ridgefield Cycle Center, which used personal measurements — inseam, torso length, arm reach — to size riders correctly. It wasn’t the advanced technology of today, but it was a true measurement‑based fit that set me up well for the racing that followed.
From 1984 to 1986, my family lived in Paris while my father worked for Schlumberger‑Doll Research. During those years abroad, I attended the International School of Paris, ran my first marathon — the Marathon de Paris at sixteen — and joined ACBB (Athlétic Club de Boulogne‑Billancourt), one of France’s historic cycling clubs. I even had the chance to meet Greg LeMond, who would soon become the first American to win the Tour de France.
When we returned home, I jumped right back into Ridgefield life — including working at Caldor in the 1980s, a place everyone in town remembers. I joined the old Wolfpit Running Club, the group that organized the Ridgefield Half Marathon, and ran my first Wolfpit Half Marathon in 1989. Running remained a major part of my life for decades.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, I became deeply involved in the regional triathlon scene. In 1988, I raced in the Ridgefield Y‑athlon, a multisport event organized by the old YMCA on Barlow Mountain. Around the same time, I began racing Chuck’s East Coast Triathlon in Danbury, starting in 1988 and continuing through the early 1990s — one of the toughest and most iconic local triathlons of its era.
From 1990 to 1993, I worked for Cannondale Corporation in Georgetown, Connecticut during the company’s golden era, and rode with Cannondale’s in‑house cycling club/team. I also raced in the Bud Light United States Triathlon Series (USTS), the premier triathlon circuit in the country. In 1989, I was invited to compete in the USTS National Championship in Hilton Head, South Carolina. In 1991, I raced in the Connecticut Triathlon Series, placing 8th out of 134 in the Male 20–24 division and finishing 50th overall out of 1,545 competitors.
I completed four full Ironman‑distance triathlons, finishing two of them — the 1991 Endurance Triathlon in Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire, and the 1994 Martha’s Vineyard Endurance Triathlon. During those years, I loved the long training days, especially swimming up to four miles in Lake Kenosia in Danbury, back when the lake still had a public beach and open‑water swimming was allowed. Those long swims were a core part of my Ironman training. Today, I continue that tradition through long lap‑swimming sessions at the Ridgefield Recreation Center, keeping the endurance foundation alive.
I also completed five Jack Bristol Lake Waramaug Ultra 50 km races in 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2008. I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 2006, and later completed my first New York Road Runners (NYRR) TCS New York City Marathon in 2019. I hope to run the NYC Marathon again someday. In 2013, while training for what would have been my fifth Marine Corps Marathon, I partially tore my right Achilles tendon and required surgery.
Alongside my athletic life, I also served in uniform as a Former Staff Sergeant (E‑6) in the New York Guard, supporting the New York National Guard. Following 9/11, I was activated for Operation World Trade Center with Task Force Liberty, serving at Camp Smith Training Site under Threatcon Charlie as part of the Military Police Detachment. We were unarmed, providing security and operational support during a critical moment in New York’s history.
Before joining the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department, I served with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). From March 2012 to July 2014, I was a member of the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department Fire‑Police, assisting with traffic control, scene safety, and public support during emergencies. I eventually had to medically resign from Fire‑Police after suffering a severe Achilles tendon tear that required more than six months of recovery, but the experience strengthened my commitment to community safety and service.
I also volunteered extensively with the American Red Cross, deploying to disaster zones across the country. My work was featured in several newspaper articles, including “Ridgefield man with ‘learning disability’ who volunteers in disaster zones wants to inspire others” and “Ridgefield volunteer helps California wildfire victims, working as the ‘Geek Squad’ for the Red Cross” by Sandra Diamond Fox. Additional articles such as “Ridgefielder lends a helping hand to Florence victims” by Peter Yankowski and “Ridgefielder aids CT Red Cross in tornado recovery efforts” by Alyssa Seidman highlighted my deployments and my message that people with disabilities can make a difference.
As WA8UNS, I have also volunteered as a NYC Marathon Ham Radio Operator since 2009, supporting New York Road Runners and the TCS New York City Marathon. I see it as a way to give back to the sport of running — a sport I’ve been part of since age sixteen, when I ran the Marathon de Paris. I understand the pain, struggle, and accomplishment of covering 26.2 miles. At the marathon, I look out for runners, offer encouragement, and help if they are having issues or medical problems. If a runner needs assistance, I can call through my ham radio to my mile captain, who can alert the medical tent. I have most often been assigned to Mile 23 or Mile 24, supporting runners in the hardest part of the race.
My commitment to community service began long before my return to cycling. In 2012, I became one of the early volunteers when the CT Foodbank Mobile Pantry first began operating at Halpin Ln in Ridgefield, Connecticut. When CT Foodbank later merged and became CT Foodshare, the Mobile Pantry moved to Saint Andrew’s Church, where it continues to operate every other Friday. At Saint Andrew’s, I hand out numbers and help manage the parking area, ensuring the line moves safely and smoothly. In 2025, I began helping with the Wednesday Community Dinners at the First Congregational Church of Ridgefield, serving meals and supporting neighbors who needed a warm place and a warm meal.
In 2021, I became a volunteer guide with Achilles International – Connecticut Chapter, supporting athletes with physical challenges or visual impairments from 5 km races to full marathons. These athletes are extraordinary, and guiding them has become one of the most meaningful parts of my life.
After being away from cycling for 25–30 years due to the rising cost of the sport, I finally returned in 2025/2026 thanks to a gifted bike that made it possible for me to re‑enter the sport. The team at Ridgefield Bicycle Company helped ensure the gifted bike was the right match for my needs, and their professional bike fitter took full personal measurements to give me a precise modern fit. Coming back reminded me of something athletes used to say long before modern gear took over the sport — the same message that appeared in a well‑known cycling book years ago: “It’s not about the bike.” It’s about the athlete. The heart. The drive. The feeling of being alive, moving forward, and refusing to give up.
Growing up, one of my favorite shows was Knight Rider, and I never forgot the line: “One man can make a difference.” Later in life, I found the same message in Admiral William McRaven’s famous speech about hope and perseverance — especially his reminders that “If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers,” and “SEAL training was a great equalizer… nothing mattered but your will to succeed.” His message that “one person can change the world by giving people hope” has stayed with me. I’ve also been inspired by former Navy SEAL David Goggins, who openly shares his own struggles with learning disabilities while pushing himself through ultramarathons. His story, like mine, shows that your challenges don’t define your limits.
Sports didn’t erase my learning disabilities, but they taught me resilience, discipline, and the belief that your starting point never determines your finish line. From Miami to West Redding to Paris and back to Ridgefield, every step of the journey has shaped who I am — and I share my story in hopes it will help others believe they can make a difference too.
