A Survivor's Story: Riding Rings Around Cancer

America's celebrities are lionized in the media.  They are idolized by an adoring public. But there are far more courageous people who deserve the spotlight.  One such man is Allan Kokinda.  He absorbed every crushing punch the pugnacious disease cancer delivered and survived.

The 54-year old San Antonio motorcycle repairman suffered through 34 brutal operations, debilitating chemotherapy treatments and endless medical setbacks for eight agonizing years. No one would have blamed him if he had given up.  But Allan refused to quit.  He kicked cancer's butt.

In 2007, Allan was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer that attacked his head. What began as persistent rash on his forehead nearly ended his life.  Three metal plates were inserted into his head.  Infections dogged him, leading to more surgeries to embed new plates.  

The surgeries left Allan's head disfigured.  He draped covers over the mirrors in his house.  He avoided looking at his reflection in any surface. He remembers that despair was his constant companion during cancer's siege. His mental and physical suffering were crippling.

"It just wore me out," Allan recalls.  "I had no energy.  I gained a lot of weight because I was inactive. I was shocked one day when the doctors told me I wasn't going to die.  I was shocked because I never thought that I was going to die."

Doctors at the UT Health San Antonio/Cancer Center treated Allan's disease.  Their care and expertise helped Allan survive the dreadful trial no human should be asked to endure.  Allan stubbornly shunned surrender.  "I won't forget the day they told me I was cancer free," he smiles.

He received the good news in 2015.  During his exhaustive treatments, Allan often daydreamed about riding his bicycle during high school and college years.  He had no car back then, so the bike was his only mode of transportation. He literally grew up on a bike.

After some soul searching, Allan decided to get back on the bike.  His sister picked up a bicycle for $100 and Allan was set.  He began with leisurely rides around San Antonio.  The exercise, along with an improved diet, paid off. He shed 50 pounds.  For the first time in years, he had energy.

With each day, Allan boosted his endurance.  Then one day he struck out for the Big Bend area near El Paso, a daunting round-trip challenge of 1,000 miles.  After successfully completing the jaunt, he dreamt big. Less than a year removed from cancer, he would undertake an epic journey.

He plotted a route that would take him through 24 states and included visits to 18 National Parks. His plan was to go all the way up to Niagara Falls and into Canada. It was an incredible leap of faith for a guy who had no formal long-distance bike training.

He outfitted his bike with fatter tires and equipment for a more efficient gear ratio  He added saddlebags.  He stuffed the bags with clothes, provisions and camping gear.  After a few goodbyes, Allan embarked on a grueling trek across America's midsection.  Just Allan and his bike.

He pedaled.  And pedaled.  And pedaled.  It took him four days just to cross the Texas state line.  He kept pumping his legs until he had racked up 7,052 miles during an arduous four-month journey that circled back to San Antonio. He had few creature comforts, camping out under the stars.

Along the way, he had the opportunity to meet other cancer survivors. They swapped stories and shared the scars that only cancer survivors can comprehend.  "I hope my story was an inspiration to other people," he modestly says.  "That was one of my motivations."

Allan Kokinda is already sketching plans for his next biking trip.  "I love the freedom of the road and I am healthier than I have been in decades," he reveals.  His bout with cancer remains fresh in his mind. But each day Allan draws strength from his terrible ordeal.

"I get so much joy from biking," Allan tells people.  "Riding through America blew me away. Each new vista was more beautiful than the last."

America has always needed heroes.  We bask in their feats of greatness. However, there are many heroes hidden among us who remain invisible. That describes Allan Kokinda.  His inspirational battle against cancer has earned him the right to be called a genuine American hero.