PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Ponte Vedra cyclist Patrick McGarry is training for a cross-country journey in 2026 to honor his sister and support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
McGarry will ride from San Diego to St. Augustine over 44 days between March 7 and April 20 with five days off, joining a group of 12 riders for the trip.
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He has been training intensely, averaging about 60 miles a day on his bike and sometimes doing more on a stationary bike.
Inside McGarry’s home, an American flag displays the names of 9/11 victims, with his sister Katherine (Katie) McGarry’s name underlined.
Katie was at the Windows on the World restaurant on the top floor of the North Tower when the plane hit on Sept. 11, 2001.
“She got into the restaurant about less than 10 minutes before the plane hit,” McGarry said. “I was watching all of this on TV, and it was like a bad dream coming back for me.”
That bad dream was a reality back in 1993, when McGarry was working on the 95th floor of the South Tower during the World Trade Center Bombing.
He lost not only his sister in 9/11 but also many friends from Wall Street. Altogether, he knew over 45 people who died that day.
McGarry said the number of funerals became overwhelming, forcing him to stop attending.
Katie is remembered as vivacious and full of life, and McGarry keeps her memory alive through photos, his license plate, and this upcoming ride.
His goal for the “Ride to Remember” is to raise $100,000 for Tunnel to Towers, which supports first responders and military heroes.
“There’s a wound there that will never heal, and I’m OK with that,” McGarry said. “I’ve learned that within grief, there’s a superpower, and I’m going to tap into that grief to get this ride done.”
McGarry plans to pay his own way for the trip but welcomes donations to support the Tunnel to Towers cause. Donations can be made here.