Living with Friedreich Ataxia: Sean's story

Sean grew up always knowing he wanted to be a pilot. As he pursued his private pilot’s license, he started to notice symptoms that he previously hadn't experienced. “The first thing I noticed was my balance,” explained Sean. “Just walking down the hallway at school, it was so hard to walk normally in a straight line.”

His pursuit to become a pilot changed when he was diagnosed with Friedreich ataxia (FA) at age 19. “It was the worst day of my life, receiving that diagnosis,” he said. 

After dedicating much of his time to becoming a pilot, he realized he needed to shift his mentality and find something new to get him up every day. For Sean, that became cycling. 

Watch below to hear Sean share his story from receiving an FA diagnosis to how he’s found balance between cycling, advocacy and his career while living with FA.