In early March, our 2026 Florida Coast & Keys team set off from Fernandina Beach and headed south all the way to Key West.
By the time they reached the finish, 11 cyclists had completed the full route, with 3 more joining in Miami for the Florida Keys section. Together the team had covered 590 miles over 9 riding days, raising an outstanding $41,771 for our mission.
With 9 returning alumni riders, the week had a real reunion feel from the start. Riders rolled out in the newly revealed 2026 jerseys, crossed onto the road south by ferry, swapped coffee stop recommendations before the first day was even done, and quickly settled into the kind of supportive, funny, and close-knit team atmosphere that makes these trips so special.
The Start of the Florida Coast and Keys
The opening days gave the team a bit of everything. Beach starts, a ferry crossing, long coastal miles, and the first connections with the MS community.
In St. Augustine, Anita and members of a local MS support group stopped by to meet the team for the first MS meetup of the trip. Later in the week, alumni Brian (TransAmerica 2024) and Kerry Winkler hosted a water stop in Titusville and shared their own story of life with MS.
Those moments mattered. It was the perfect reminder why we ride at all.
The Support Along the Way
A huge part of what made this ride special was the generosity shown all along the route.
The team was hosted by 9 churches and supporters all the way down the state. Each overnight stop played its part in shaping the trip. Thank you to Memorial United Methodist Church in Fernandina Beach for helping the team begin the week, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Augustine, Sacred Heart in New Smyrna Beach, Redeemer Lutheran Church and School in Stuart, St. Paul Lutheran Church & School in Boca Raton, South Miami Lutheran Church, Coral Isles Church in Tavernier, Kirk of the Keys in Marathon, and Peace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Key West.
The magic of our Alumni Family
A special thank you also goes to alumni Larry and Sherry Sietsma. They opened their home to the team in Indialantic. It was one of the most memorable overnights of the trip. Great meals, beautiful views, and a warm welcome from two people who clearly care deeply about this community.
There were other generous touches too. Alumni Joe and Stormi came out to feed the team at Sacred Heart. An anonymous alumni supporter treated the team to dinner as they headed into the Keys. Churches welcomed riders into fellowship halls, social buildings, sanctuaries, youth rooms, and kitchens. These rides simply do not happen without that kind of kindness. We are incredibly grateful to every host who welcomed the team in.
The Ride South
The route itself brought the full Florida experience. There were long bike-path stretches, warm coastal riding, busy towns, palm-lined stops, bridges, ocean views, and eventually the unmistakable feel of the Keys.
There was also some rain, the usual unpredictable moments on the road, and more than a few flat tires once the team headed south from Miami.
That part of the story deserves mentioning too, because it says a lot about this team. There were roadside fixes, repeated punctures, and one of those days where it probably felt like every few miles someone was crouched over a wheel again. But the mood never really dipped. Looking back through the messages and photos, what comes through most strongly is humor. Riders helping each other, route leaders stepping in, jokes about tow trucks, and the kind of shared experience that somehow becomes part of what people remember most fondly later.
Into the Keys
Once the team reached the Keys, the ride took on a different feel. The long bridges, bright water, ocean light, wildlife, and open stretches of road gave the final days a proper sense of adventure.
Day 8 and Day 9 brought some of the most iconic moments of the whole trip. Riding the bridges of the Florida Keys, passing through Marathon, reaching the final celebration, and then rolling on to the finish in Key West.
And while not every great moment was dramatic, a lot of them were memorable. A team dinner in the Keys, coffee stops, wildlife sightings, church welcome signs, and the sort of slightly absurd Florida scenes that make this ride feel unlike any other.
The Finish of the Florida Coast and Keys ride.
By the end of the week, the team had raised over $40,000. Those funds will help support the MS Center of Excellence at the University of Miami, as well as our wider projects across the country.
To everyone who rode, led, hosted, fed, encouraged, supported, donated, and welcomed this year’s Florida Coast & Keys team: thank you.
And to the 2026 team, thank you for making this one such a special ride.
Interested in joining us on a future Florida ride? Get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
