From 3 open heart surgeries to a 350-mile ride at age 69: how biking saved a father and his son

At 43, Donnie Seals Sr. faced a grim reality—his heart, weakened by stress and an unhealthy lifestyle, required open-heart surgery following a heart attack. By 50, he had undergone two more surgeries, including a quintuple bypass. Weighed down by more than 20 daily medications and the looming threat of more procedures, he knew something had to change.

The unexpected solution? A bicycle. What began as tentative rides around the block nearly 15 years after his last open-heart surgery would evolve into a 350-mile journey across the vast American Midwest — one that transformed his health and strengthened Seals Sr.’s bond with his son.

“I have no idea why I chose biking,” Seals Sr., who will be 73 this year, tells Cycling Weekly with a laugh. “But man, it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Biking saved me.”

A Vessel for Change

Seals Sr.’s entry into cycling was anything but glamorous. It was slow, tedious and humbling. After spending nearly 15 years relying on medications to keep his heart in check, in his mid-60s, Seals Sr. decided to rely on two wheels instead.

“My first rides were a quarter mile, just around my block,” Seals Sr. says. “That’s all I could do to start. Then, I linked up with a local cycling club and started doing 20-mile rides with them. Eventually, I did my first century with the club. By then, I was hooked. I’m not fast, but I can ride all day.”

As Seals Sr. saw his cardiovascular health begin to improve, he came to a startling realisation: His son, Eric D. Seals was heading down the same dangerous path as he’d been..

“[Eric and I] both played football and we have the same body type, which made us athletic back when we were in our prime, but can become unhealthy if you don’t maintain it,” Seals Sr. says. “He is also a workaholic like I was, and I felt he hadn’t fully made a commitment to his health, so I suggested we ride together, and it’s made us even closer.”

Cycling quickly became a shared passion, improving their health and strengthening their bond. By 2021, both father and son had vastly improved their cardiovascular fitness, and they wanted to mark the transformation with something big and symbolic.

The answer? A 350-mile route from St. Louis to Chicago along the legendary Route 66, one of the original highways in the U.S. Known as the “Mother Road,” Route 66 was once the main artery for travellers chasing new opportunities in the West. For nearly a century, it symbolised freedom, resilience and the American spirit. For the Seals father and son duo, it symbolises a new, healthier, future.

The date was set for the fall of 2021. It would be a four-day journey ending in Chicago on Labor Day. Seals Sr. would be 69 years old, and his son would be 35.

“I couldn’t have made the journey without Eric”

For nearly a year, the duo dedicated themselves to preparing for the adventure. They joined club rides, completed indoor training sessions and followed a strict training regime.

As the ride took shape, Seals., owner of the production company Digifé, saw an opportunity to turn his father’s transformation into something bigger. He envisioned a documentary —Bike Vessel— that would chronicle Seals Sr.’s journey from a heart health scare to heart health advocate.

And so a film crew followed the pair as they made their way north from St. Louis to Chicago via the Route 66 bike path.

“Eric and I have had a much closer bond ever since we did that bike ride together,” Seals Sr. says. “I’m very proud of him and I could not have made the journey without him.”

The pair’s longest day in the saddle was on the third day when they racked up 111 miles, with much of it into a 12mph headwind.

“I bragged to Eric before we set out that we were probably going to have a tailwind the entire way to Chicago,” Seals Sr. says with a laugh. “And that third day ended up being brutal with the headwind. But I’ll tell you what: Eric pulled for the full 111 miles.”

The duo were plagued by the typical cyclist’s pains –flat tyres, headwinds, tired bodies– but Seals Sr. says nothing compares to the meditative state they felt when they found a good groove.

“There were sections on the route where we felt great and were rolling and were in almost a meditative state, that was one of my favourite parts,” Seals Sr. says. “My other favourite part of the journey was when we got close enough to Chicago to smell the cit,y and I knew I’d be in my bed that night.”

As a result of Seals Sr.’s commitment to fitness through cycling, his medication requirement decreased from more than 20 medications a day to just two per day at the time of the point-to-point ride.

“I’ll ride with you”

Now, four years after his epic Midwest cycling expedition, Seals Sr. can still be found pedalling most days of the week. Although Seals Sr.’s son Eric is busy with his production company, he can still be found riding with his dad when time allows.

“I once said to my wife that I felt guilty for spending so much time and money on my bikes,” Seals Sr. says. “And she made the statement to me that at one point in my life, we were spending more on my heart medications than we ever did on my bikes. And that affirmed to me that cycling is my medication.”

Seals Sr. has become a fierce advocate for new cyclists in the Chicago area.

“You don’t have to ‘get in shape’ before you can ride,” Seals Sr. says. “I’ll ride with you, even if it’s just around the block. Let’s just get off the couch and put down the potato chips. It doesn’t matter to me how far we go.”

Seals Sr. leaves folks with a sobering, gentle nudge about pursuing health: “People like to say that tomorrow is not promised,” Seals Sr. says. “I’m here to tell you that today is not promised… find something that you love - walking, cycling, pickleball - and just do it. And if you love it, you’ll continue to do it.”

The Bike Vessel documentary premieres on PBS on February 24, 2025. Check your local PBS listings for exact air times.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming over 600,000 lives each year. The best way to fight back is to get moving. Regular physical activity can help strengthen your heart, lower blood pressure and improve overall health. Cycling is a great option—it’s low-impact, easy on the joints, and an excellent way to boost cardiovascular fitness while exploring the outdoors. Not everyone can or wants to ride 350 miles, but every mile counts.