Wheels push against the rough concrete as sophomore Tanner Austin cycles his 20-mile route around the River Trail at the Big Dam Bridge. As his body continues to grow stronger with each turn of the wheels, Austin’s health is not on his mind.

“In September 2012, my dad had a heart attack,” Austin said. “He needed to be healthier, so he started cycling. I thought about it and decided to ask for a bicycle for Christmas. Ever since then, my dad and I have been cycling.”

After receiving his first Trek bicycle, Austin began to ride along side his father. Little did he know, his riding would not just be an after school hobby.

“I got into cycling and I started doing some 100-mile races and some marathons on my bike,” Austin said. “All of a sudden, I started getting sponsors.”

Austin enters races to support heart disease awareness, so he can help his father and fund research.

“There was a 100-mile cycle-thon for the Arkansas Heart Hospital, and I got one of the best times,” Austin said. “Then they asked if they could sponsor me. My next big marathon is for the Heart Hospital.”

To keep up with the commitment to his sponsors and to his father’s health, Austin practices despite the weather changes.

“When it’s nice outside, I usually ride all the way to Toad Suck [AR],” Austin said. “It’s about a 100-mile trip by the time I am done. If the weather gets bad, I have a rack in my house to set my bike on. I ride that one to two hours at a time.”

When riding outside, Austin puts safety first.

“I always wear my helmet,” Austin said. “I don’t know the cost of my bike, but I put money into buying different kinds of equipment like pads. I ride carefully.”

Austin does not practice alone, as he still makes time to ride with his father.

“My dad’s health is off and on, but overall he is better,” Austin said. “He will always have heart disease though. It will always be there and want to clog him up.”

For Austin, cycling is the driving force behind his relationship with his father.

“Without pushing him to cycle, he probably would not be here today,” Austin said. “Cycling has brought us closer together. It gives us something in common and helps us to bond over something. His health means a lot to me.”