Northfield man born with clubfeet, and now battling MS, takes on bike race

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 66-year-old Northfield man is preparing to take on Lifetime’s Chequamegon 40 bike race this weekend, defying what doctors thought may be possible following multiple medical setbacks.

Gerard Schwagerl is not only living with multiple sclerosis but he was born with bilateral clubfeet, resulting in a lifetime of pain. He says he’s found the most relief when cycling.

"By the time I was in my late 30s, I could barely walk. I was in so much pain," said Schwagerl. "I started riding and it just felt so good."

Schwagerl was quickly introduced to racing, and for about a decade he says he was participating in half a dozen races a year. Eventually, life got busy and he stepped back from the hobby but when he was diagnosed with MS in 2013 he made his way back to the sport.

"I had to keep going. I didn’t feel like I had a choice. I had to keep going," he said.

He first returned to the sport using a recumbent trike and eventually graduated to a road bike. Today, he prefers trail races like the one he’s doing this Saturday in North-Western Wisconsin in which he will be riding a pedal-assisted mountain bike to help him keep pace. 

The 66 year old said he’s incredibly fortunate that his disease is stable, and he recognizes that others with the same diagnosis will never get back on a bike.

"I’ve lost a lot of strength…a lot of balance…cognitively, I have a hard time with names and that sort of thing," he said. "But I’m incredibly fortunate."

The Chequamegon 40 takes place on September 14 in Hayward, Wisconsin. The race runs along the American Birkebeiner Ski Trail through varied terrain.