AN ALBURY family has tackled the flat terrain and the scenic mountains of America, to ride 2253 kilometres.
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Travis and Fiona Saunders have taken on the challenge with their son, Patrick, or “Patch”, who has autism.
They crossed state borders from Montana to North Dakota, marking almost the halfway mark in the 5000-kilometre journey from the west coast to the east.
The avid cyclists decided to undertake the mammoth ride to stimulate Patch’s learning and development through movement.
Their latest update spoke of seven-year-old Patch’s ability to identify left and right instructions on the bicycle, including instructions using his own body parts.
“The last week has been very tough with hot weather, hills and long days,” the update reads.
“Patch has been brilliant and loved swimming in local pools at the end of the day.
“He is now very aware of traffic and always gets off the bike on the right hand side.
“We rarely have to tell him to stay clear of the road.”
When bad weather struck, the family camped out in the City Hall office at Harlem, Montana.
Patch has also become a hero to other children, after receiving a letter from two siblings in New Zealand.
The young girl had to interview her brother about his hero, and he chose Patch saying he was doing “amazing things”.
The Saunders family began the ride in the Anacortes, in the north west of America, across the north and through Washington DC to the east coast.