Caleb's Quest: Teen's transcontinental trek to end Saturday on St. Simons

Aug. 25—Feel sorry for Caleb Schroeder if you are so inclined, but do not expect this energetic teenaged dynamo to stick around for your pity.

Come Saturday on St. Simons Island, however, Caleb would most definitely appreciate your cheers. Riding in tandem with his dad Kirk Schroeder, the pair will pedal to the St. Simons Island Pier that afternoon to reach the Atlantic Ocean.

It will mark the culmination of a 3,400-mile transcontinental odyssey that began last month in Seattle, Wash., on the Pacific Ocean. They hope to arrive at around 1:30 p.m., escorted the last miles from Brunswick to St. Simons Island by an entourage of local cyclists.

"I'm going to be so exhausted," Caleb told The News on Tuesday at the end of another 100-mile stint that ended just outside Asheville, N.C. "I'll collapse on the beach. It's been a tough challenge, but very rewarding."

Actually, the trek across America has been a cake walk compared to much of the 15 years that preceded it.

"Caleb's a miracle," said Rory F. Comiskey, a St. Simons Island resident and good friend of the Schroeder family.

Caleb was born with a brain abnormality known as hydrocephalus, which causes a buildup of fluid within. The condition very nearly took his life as an infant. Caleb pushed forward, but he struggled with a resulting high-functioning form of autism, as well as cerebral palsy that had crippling effects on the right side of his body.

Back then, the goal was survival. Half a dozen brain surgeries. Three leg surgeries. Achilles surgery, a surgically implanted growth plate. Caleb limped on a club foot with negligible use of his right arm.

But Caleb did not stick around in one place long enough to hear anyone tell him about his limitations. He learned it from his dad and from his mom, Dana Schroder.

The Schroeders, who have two other children, view Caleb as a gift and a blessing. And not just for the family, but for everyone who meets him.

"He's surprising us every single day with all the stuff he tries to do," Kirk Schroeder said Tuesday just hours after he and Caleb descended a Carolina mountain on a tandem bike. "He just has big dreams and big goals."

Said mom Dana: "Caleb's always motivating people."

It started with extended walking, then running at 11 years old. That was difficult enough with the club foot. Dana could walk faster than her son could run when they started. He fell down a lot but got back up each time.

Before they knew it, Caleb announced plans in 2018 to run 1,000 miles in one year. He reached his goal in December of that year. When it was over, Caleb had a new way to walk and run.

"One year he ran a thousand miles, and he was basically crippled at the beginning of the year," Kirk said. "Over the course of it, the foot turned forward and he was able to obtain more balance."

Caleb took up cycling two years ago at age 13. He started with a recumbent bicycle that allowed him to pedal in a more stable reclining position. He also has a specially modified upright bike. And then there is his favorite, the tandem bicycle he rides with dad.

Anything to keep moving forward, to stay in a positive place.

His dad is the same way. He teaches construction management at BYU-Idaho in the family's hometown of Rexberg, Idaho. He also works with Comiskey, an engineering consultant whose Fusionirx company plays a role in high-tech factory projects worldwide.

A few years back, Comiskey recalls him asking for time off from a Tesla factory job in Reno, Nevada.

"He said, 'I've got something to take care of, some issues with my son's health," Comiskey said.

Comiskey soon discovered the true nature of the "issue" was brain surgery. "I felt terrible for not knowing," Comiskey said.

He has been a big supporter of Team Caleb ever since. Watching the young man knock down barrier after barrier with the support of his family has been a worthwhile inspiration. It is the main reason his company sponsored the father-and-son's transcontinental bike ride.

""That whole family, they just keep their feet moving," Comiskey said. "They stay positive and I really think that's where Caleb gets it. This whole thing is about Caleb. I feel privileged to be a part of it. I really do. It's just heart-wearing. It's a Hallmark movie waiting to happen."

Caleb and his father set out from the Pacific Coast on July 21. Dana, along with sons Lance, 12, and Preston, 13, follow Caleb and Kirk in a van. The family meets each night at a hotel along the way. They have averaged a little over a 100 miles a day. Give or take.

"We weren't ready for this by any means," Kirk concedes. "You set your goals and you make your plans, but ... things happen. So you just go with the flow and adapt. We just wake up, put on our gear and start pedaling."

Their best day was a 134-mile jaunt through scenic Yellowstone National Park, Kirk said. "Very memorable, just beautiful," he said.

There have been wrong turns. They have tarried too long in one place. And time and again on these delays, the two have bumped into someone who just really needed to experience the kind of inspiration a guy like Caleb has to offer.

"We see that so much," Kirk said. "We take the wrong road. Or we stop somewhere. And we happen to meet someone who says, 'You know what? I needed that today.' You just learn to embrace the day you're blessed with."

Along the way, Kirk and Caleb have tried to raise awareness of and money for the good works of Shriners Hospitals for Children and Autism Speaks. The Caleb's Quest gofundme (https://www.gofundme.com/f/calebs-quest) has raised nearly $20,000 to that end, with a goal of reaching $50,000. Folks can also follow Team Caleb on Facebook.

Christen Bartley is among the legions who have been moved by Caleb's indomitable enthusiasm. The owner of Anytime Fitness Brunswick at 24 Canal Road Plaza is managing Caleb's gofundme page and her business is another sponsor of their transcontinental trek.

"It is an incredible feat for anyone to ride cross country, covering that time in that distance," Bartley said. "But Caleb, with his disabilities, has really pushed himself. He has inspired others while raising money for worthy causes. It's just a selfless cause. He's just a really good kid."

Some avid local cyclists plan on meeting up with the father and son Saturday morning in front of Great Clips (another sponsor) at 10435 Canal Road on the mainland to escort the duo on their final 13 miles to the Atlantic Ocean, Comiskey said. Out in front will be a father and a resolute young man who has no intention of letting anything slow him down.

"He just wants to show people that they don't have to limit themselves," Kirk said. "And along the way he is raising empathy and awareness for people with disabilities. Some people have the old way of thinking of disabilities, the mean way. I think gifted is the word. A gift to the families that are blessed with them. And they are actually a blessing to us all."