Linda’s Ride: A Journey of Healing and Hope
Elliot Segal memorialized his late wife, Linda, with a 10,000-mile motorcycle trip and fundraiser.
A mountain blizzard in Washington State, sizzling 113-degree heat in Death Valley, powerful prairie winds — these were just some of the extremes that Elliott Segal encountered on his 45-day, cross-country motorcycle ride. For Segal, the almost 10,000-mile trip and fundraiser for Meir Panim and IDF soldiers was a meaningful way to honor the memory of his beloved wife, Linda.
The idea to ride across the United States on his bike first occurred to Segal shortly after his Linda’s passing, in May 2023. “I was destroyed and wanted to get away for as long as I could.” But after a nine-day motorcycle trip from his home in Atlanta to his sister in San Francisco, he realized that his grief was still too raw and that he needed time to process.
The plan resurfaced this past February. After donating to on behalf of IDF soldiers, it occurred to him that he could do better than that. So, he contacted the organization and outlined his initiative to circumnavigate the U.S. and encourage donors to sponsor him by the mile. Meir Panim set up a website and Segal began to solicit donations, raising a tidy sum even before the ride began.
“I knew it was going to be tough for me emotionally because Linda and I had ridden in a lot of the places I would be passing through. But I felt that it had meaning and worth and value – to honor my wife and raise money for the IDF,” Segal shared.
A Love for Israel
In their 44 years together, Elliott and Linda raised two beautiful daughters and had three grandchildren. They shared a passion for helping others – Elliott through his chiropractic practice and Linda as a devoted midwife who brought thousands of babies into the world. They fulfilled their love of the great outdoors through biking and camping all over the country. After her family, Linda’s greatest love was Israel, and she demonstrated that love repeatedly through her generous giving to charities in Israel. “Her inspiration and example made the ride a reality,” Segal said.
He faced a few setbacks before starting. First, two of his buddies, with whom he’d originally planned to make the ride, dropped out, due to medical and logistical reasons. And as a retired chiropractor, Segal understood the importance of a motorcycle with good suspension to avoid aches and stiffness. Just four days before leaving, he traded in his old bike and bought a brand-new Harley Davidson, which would become his trusted companion, taking him through tree-canopied mountain passes, dusty side roads and interstate highways with 18-wheelers whizzing past him.
Segal started Linda’s Ride on May 20, the day after his wife’s unveiling, following her first yahrzeit. He took a journal with him, logging his location, thoughts and experiences, and also kept a gratitude journal. “I took some pictures here and there, but not too much. When you’re on a motorcycle, you can’t just snap pictures like a Japanese tourist,” he smiled.
Segal trained for almost three months prior to the ride, working out, swimming and lifting weights. During the ride, he kept himself in shape with a daily stretching-calisthenics regimen. His plan was to get off the bike every so often to take a 10-minute walk and regain circulation, and on most days, he was able to do that whenever he stopped for gas or to buy something to eat.
But there were times when he needed to make progress and had to keep riding for several hours at a stretch. Driving home eastward, through the southern states of Arizona, New Mexico, and across Texas and Oklahoma, it was so hot, he had to get up at 3 a.m. He’d start when it was still relatively cool, until 10 a.m. when, after several hours of one-handed riding (his other hand was shielding his eyes from the sun), he would check into a hotel to catch up on his sleep.
“When I was really tired and getting sick of the ride, I’d remember what I was doing it all for, Israel’s soldiers and honoring my wife,” he said.
Stops on the Way
With a passion for American history as well as being a U.S. Army veteran, Segal made a stop at the Virginia Military Academy. Moving north, he came to Gettysburg where he walked the infamous battlefield of Pickett’s Charge. His next stop was West Point, where he met an Israeli couple, both IDF soldiers. Dressed as he was in his motorcycle boots and jacket, Segal describes himself as “not having the appearance of your typical American Jew.” He was delighted to surprise the Israelis with the fact of his Jewish identity, along with his fundraiser for the IDF.
Since Segal observes Shabbat, he had planned on stopping every Friday in a different community, where he hoped to receive permission to address the congregation about his ride and mission. He spent his first Shabbat of the ride in Fairfax, Va. He was put up by the local Chabad rabbi and invited to speak at the Shabbat morning kiddush, where he was very well received. The following Friday, in Maine, he made his rounds to all the shuls in the vicinity but was disappointed to find that they were all on vacation. “That was essentially the situation I encountered across the country,” Segal said, with the exception of the Chabad rabbi in Olympia, Wash. “The rabbi apologized, saying that the congregation was so small, they wouldn’t be holding a service, but he invited me over anyway, saying he’d love to meet me.”
Moments of Reflection
Segal’s ride took him through some breathtaking scenes in nature, with moments that he describes as “truly extraordinary” — observing eagles in flight, catching sight of a herd of mother elks with their calves and yearlings, and seeing the northern states of Vermont and New Hampshire for the first time. On the other hand, he found parts of the trip emotionally bittersweet, such as traversing the states where he had ridden with Linda in the past. The overall experience, though, was one of healing. “Linda was, and still is, my soulmate. Sometimes I’d talk to her about the ride and about the memories we had together.”
Segal talks about a deep feeling of gratitude that he felt, “just for being allowed to take this ride, to do what I did, and see what I saw.”
Trip to Israel
As the road stretches out ahead of him, Segal’s journey is far from over. With Linda’s memory fueling his spirit, he continues to seek new horizons, driven by the purpose of helping others and finding meaning. He’s currently looking forward to visiting Israel in September, when he will volunteer his chiropractic services to Israel’s soldiers.
“I feel that if I won’t be busy with something that has meaning, I’ll just whither up and die. It’s a priority for me to keep on going and to keep on giving,” he said.
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