MAINE, USA — Avery Seuter, a 20-year-old from Wells, completed a journey even he doubted he could do at the time.
Seuter successfully completed a roughly 2,400-mile ride from Maine to Florida on a unicycle.
"I'd been unicycling at that point for a while to work and to school off in the other direction," Seuter said. Riding on one wheel is Seuter's ideal mode of transportation. In September 2022, he began his journey from his home in Wells to Key West, Fla. along the East Coast Greenway.
"The first day I made it to Portsmouth, which was about 20 miles. So, from there I kind of had an idea of how much I could do each day without exerting myself too much," Seuter said.
During his ride, Seuter gained a following on social media and began collecting donations for the East Coast Greenway Alliance. He was able to raise more than $3,000.
"Pioneers like Avery bring the East Coast Greenway dream to life. I was inspired by his ability to build community and move the Greenway forward by spreading the word and supporting our efforts to build a healthy and sustainable future," East Coast Greenway Alliance Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano said.
The East Coast Greenway is a trail network that stretches from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida, and leaders with the Greenway Alliance hope to one day, have the entire trail traffic free.
"It was a struggle early on to get used to it and build up the new muscles, but by the end it sort of just normal," Seuter said.
According to Seuter, he was able to ride roughly 20 to 30 miles each day during the journey. It took him a total of 142 days, completing the trek on Jan. 28.
"It was great seeing so many of these cities that I have never been to before, and a lot of small towns that you might not get to see if you're driving," Seuter said.