Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Every year an athlete like Ben Becknell passes through the hallways of high schools all across the United States - short on talent but big on drive and determination.
Becknell scored just two points as a 5-foot-5 senior on Triton's basketball team in 1973. He was a wrestler who grappled at 98 pounds and won just two matches. He was also a member of the football and cross-country teams at Triton, who saw very little playing time.
"He had a very positive attitude," said Sam Davis, who was Becknell's wrestling coach at Triton. "He was limited but if he could possibly do it, he would do it."
Becknell lived his all-too-brief life with Cystic Fibrosis, which is a recessive, hereditary disease that affects the lungs, sweat glands and digestive system. It causes people who suffer from it to have severe mucus buildup in their lungs, which leads to trouble breathing and increased potential for deadly infection.
The current average lifespan for a person living with Cystic Fibrosis is 32. Becknell died at age 30 in 1984.
With the memory of his brother ever present, Warsaw resident Luke Becknell had an idea while trainning for a bike race.
"When you're out on a bike in the county training, you have a lot of time to think," deadpanned Becknell.
As an avid cyclist, who competes in various races, Luke decided to use his love for cycling to help fight for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
Last year, Becknell created the "Coast to Coast of Indiana." It's a three- or four-person team relay race. It's a two-stage race that starts in Michigan City and ends in Crawfordsville Saturday, July 16. There will be a solo and two-person competition Saturday.
The racers then travel from Crawfordsville to Evansville Sunday.
All totaled, the race covers a distance of 318 miles.
Becknell is quick to admit that the idea of "Coast to Coast" in middle of the heartland requires some imagination.
The race starts on the shores of Lake Michigan at Washington Park in Michigan City and ends at Sunset Park in Evansville on the edge of the Ohio River.
"I wanted it to be a bike race that was something competitive and something different," said Becknell. "The length of Indiana, that's different."
Above all though, Becknell wanted to do something to help cure a disease that took his brother at too young an age.
"The main goal is the fund-raiser but at the same point it's a fun, family event. Ben was so active. He played basketball, that was his favorite, and was on the football team and even ran cross-country which was amazing to me. I wanted to do something to raise money that fit the type of person Ben was."
In the first year of competition, a team of area cyclists won the contest. Steve Elliot, Dave Elliot and Gary Rumbles of Syracuse, along with Mike Suhany of Warsaw, won the event in a shade over 19 hours.
Becknell hopes that as the race grows, the devoted cycling community makes the "Coast to Coast of Indiana" a must-ride event.
The cycling community is a tightly knit one with racers who scour North America for a challenging races.
As time passes, not only does hope of the races potential grow but also that of finding a cure for a disease that affects 30,000 children and adults in the United States.
"Research has come a long way with a cure. There's hope," said Becknell.
And while Becknell started the race to honor someone who lost his battle with Cystic Fibrosis, the race is being run for those still fighting.
"Some of the monies are used to help the families with children who suffer from CF because a lot of money is spent when you have a child with CF, a lot of time in and out of hospitals," said Becknell.
While life can be tough for a child dealing with Cystic Fibrosis, Luke's brother was an inspiration to those with the disease by not being an inspiration to those without it, by just being another kid.
"Sure they admired him for what he was doing," said Davis of his team's thoughts on Ben. "But he was just one of the guys and that's the way they treated him, no different."
The entry fee for the race is $50 per person and registration is open until June 30.
On the Net: www.bigeastern.com\c2c
