“Riding” Across America- The Other Half of the EC Cover Caliendo Couple

By: Brittany Bevis

By now, we’re sure you’ve seen the beautiful image of Marylyn Caliendo and Inthesweetshop that graces the cover of the July/August edition of The Equine Chronicle. While you’re probably familiar with Marylyn and her equine adventures, you might not know that another member of the family does a bit of “riding” as well…

The patriarch of the Caliendo clan, Paul, is currently riding his bike across America to help raise funds and awareness for the Marine Corps University Foundation, which provides professional military education and training to current and future leaders of national security. This Foundation is close to Paul’s heart because he is a former military man having served three years in the US Marine Corps and being awarded the Purple Heart Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat “V”, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon.

The Cross-Country Challenge ride began in San Francisco, CA, on June 1st and will finish in Portsmouth, NH on July 22nd. Over the course of the journey, Paul and his companions will bike a total of 3,845 miles. As of yesterday, Paul is at the 1,725 mile mark.

“Paul has wanted to ride across America for quite awhile,” Marylyn says. “He is a Trustee for the Marine Corps University Foundation, which provides college for Marines, so he decided he would ride for them.”

“He has always loved cycling and has been biking for quite a few years. Oregon is great for it, because it has a lot of elevation differences to practice on. Paul is committed. When he wants to accomplish something like this, or when he wanted to run a marathon, he just puts his mind into it and trains for it.”

Just like Marylyn has been hard at work training for the upcoming APHA Open and Amateur World Championship Show this fall, Paul began his training for this challenge one year ago. On average, Paul complete 85 miles per day and is burning up to 7,500 calories a day.

“Going over the Rockies was a challenge, because they climbed 11,000 feet in elevation,” she says. “The flatter the road, the more they can ride. When climbing, they aren’t going to ride as far. There are a total of 17 coast to coast riders, and some riders will come in and do a leg, which is about seven days. There are usually about 24 on the ride, during certain legs. He didn’t get a rest day the first 12 days, which was during the Rockies climb.”

In addition to elevation changes and enduring a grueling pace, riders must also face complications like road construction and adverse weather conditions. Riders often encounter native flora and fauna along the way, like dust devils and tumbleweeds in Nevada and even the occasional rattlesnake!

“It’s hard when they have to ride a highway and there is debris or construction going on,” she says. “His bike only weighs about eight pounds, and, if you hit something like gravel or a divot, you can fall. I know some of the riders have fallen; one had to go to the hospital with a broken hand and fractured jaw.”

“The weather in California and parts of Nevada was cold in the mornings, and the Rockies were really cold. He is in Kansas this week, so he had some rain showers. As he continues heading east, it will be hot and humid.”

Although this cross-country ride takes place across the highways, back roads, and trails of America, not all of the bikers are from here in the States. Four riders hail from the Netherlands and two riders are from England.

“I like the fact that you don’t know anyone when you start, but the camaraderie in the group grows and there is a lot of encouragement. The people they meet in the towns are really fun, supportive, and diverse, which Paul loves.”

Just like you’ll always see Paul in the stands when Marylyn is in the saddle, Marylyn is supporting her husband by showing up at certain stops along the way.

“One thing about Paul and I is that our individual interests are diverse, which gives us quite a lot to talk about,” she says. “I love my horses; he loves his bike! I met him in Pueblo and that was fun, and I will be at the finish line when he arrives in Portsmouth. They dip the rear tire in the Pacific Ocean and dip the front tire in the Atlantic Ocean, when they finish.”

We would like to wish Paul the very best of luck on his cross-country ride! If you’d like to donate funds to sponsor Paul’s Ride Across America, click here. You can either pledge a specific amount per mile or give a one-time donation. Scroll below to view more fun photos from Paul’s trip!