Ken Abbott, 61, started his cross-country trip from Ocean Beach Wednesday ten years after receiving a heart transplant.
By Shannon Handy / CBS8 / March 4, 2026
A man who received a heart transplant a decade ago is embarking on a 3,000-mile bicycle journey from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida, to raise awareness about the critical need for organ donors.
Ken Abbott, 61, started his cross-country trip from Ocean Beach on Wednesday after recovering from a life-threatening cardiac condition that nearly killed him in 2016. The journey commemorates ten years since his transplant and aims to educate people about the importance of organ donation and transplantation.
Abbott was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition years before his heart began to fail. In 2016, he walked into Mount Sinai’s emergency room, where doctors gave him only a 5% chance of survival.
“2016 is where everything went sideways, literally. I walked into the emergency room at Mount Sinai. They were surprised I could even walk. They diagnosed me with ventricular tachycardia and cardiomyopathy, they gave me a 5% chance of survival,” said Abbott.
Six months later, Abbott received a new heart from a 46-year-old Hispanic male donor whose gift saved the lives of two other people as well. The transplant transformed Abbott’s life.
“I know he saved my life and the lives of two others,” said Abbott.
Before his transplant, Abbott was not an avid cyclist. Today, cycling plays a central role in his life.
“Last year, I rode over 12,000 miles, if you include the indoor miles,” said Abbott, adding that the experience had changed his perspective.
Abbott has partnered with the nonprofit Live On New York for the journey, which encourages people to become organ donors. Abbott points to sobering statistics on organ donation rates.
“There’s 108,000 people waiting for a transplant in the United States. Last year, 49,000 people received transplants. In 2022, the US hit 1 million transplants. Those are all fabulous statistics. But then, when you look at the numbers, 13 people die each day on the waiting list, waiting for a transplant,” said Abbott.
Abbott plans to ride 75 miles a day and has given himself 59 days to complete the journey. His friend Pete Trankina will ride with him. Meanwhile, his wife, Eleanor will accompany him, following along in a rented RV where they all plan to sleep.
Eleanor initially expressed skepticism about Abbott’s ambitious plan.
“At first, I thought he was crazy. He had a heart transplant. Now he wants to bike across the country, but he is so determined to do everything that he can and to honor his donor and all the donors and donor families that I said I’d go with him,” said Eleanor.
The journey will be documented on social media and PedalingforLife.org. Abbott welcomes anyone who wants to ride along with him during his cross-country trek.
