Joseph Kevin Foster IV (born February 29, 1960), known as Kevin Foster, is a

mountain biker Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

best known for his 1990 tour across the

Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand ''li'' wall") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic grou ...

; his 1993-1995 tour of the highest points in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

; and his 1997 tour across

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. Before finding fame as a bicyclist, he worked in the New York area as an actor and writer. In recent years, he has returned to the entertainment industry as an actor, writer, and producer.

Early life

Foster was born in

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...

, to Joseph Adrian, an accountant, and Stella Lucia (née Vicedomini), a homemaker. His siblings included a younger brother and two younger sisters. His heritage is English, Irish, and Welsh from his father's side, and Spanish, Italian, and Jewish from his mother. Foster was raised in a predominantly Italian household in the North End section of Waterbury, later living in several nearby towns. Foster's mother gave her children a strong religious background that began as

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

(he was an

altar boy An altar server is a laity, lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helps bring up the gifts, brings up t ...

) and then moved on to

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

and

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

(where he sang in the children's choir).Marquis Who's Who. New Providence, NJ. 2010 Edition.Fitzsousa, Michael (Sunday, 7 June 1987) ''Bicyclist Steers for the Wall''. The Sunday Republican. Waterbury, Connecticut.Palladino, Joe (Sunday, 25 June 2000) ''Captain America: Actually His Name is Kevin Foster and the Waterbury Native is Out to Make Some History''. The Sunday Republican. Waterbury, Connecticut.Palladino, Joe (Thursday, 28 October 1993) ''Naugatuck's Foster Tabbed King of the Mountain''. Naugatuck (Connecticut) Daily News.Meyers, Jeff (Thursday, 4 October 1990) ''Hitting the Wall''. Los Angeles (California) Times.Mayko, Michael P (Sunday, 26 September 1993) ''In Profile: Kevin Foster: Biking to New Heights''. Connecticut Post. In 1968, Foster received an

electric shock Electrical injury is a physiological reaction caused by electric current passing through the body. The injury depends on the density of the current, tissue resistance and duration of contact. Very small currents may be imperceptible or produce ...

from a live wire and fell approximately 30 feet. His memory was erased, and doctors told Foster's parents that he would never walk again. Foster did eventually regain some of his memory, although his memory of his friends, families, and relatives up to that point was gone. After four years of therapy, Foster was completely freed from his wheelchair. Foster credits the experience with changing his outlook on life, and leading him to dedicate himself as a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

. In 1972, as he was first learning to ride a bicycle, Foster saw a news broadcast of U.S. President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

meeting with Chairman

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

atop the

. The sight inspired Foster to bicycle along the Wall from one end to the other, although his letters to both world leaders asking for permission received only a polite brush off from the White House.

Acting career

Foster had begun to act at the age of three, appearing in church and school plays and community theatre. At the age of 16, he began appearing at Connecticut's Southbury Playhouse and other

summer stock In American theater, summer-stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock the ...

and

dinner theater Dinner theater (sometimes called dinner and a show) is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. "Dinner and a show" can also refer to a restaurant meal in combination with live concert music, where pat ...

venues around Connecticut. In fall 1980, Foster entered the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. He later trained with

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931 ...

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

;

Uta Hagen Uta Thyra Hagen (12 June 1919 – 14 January 2004) was a German-American actress and theatre practitioner. She originated the role of Martha in the 1962 Broadway premiere of ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' by Edward Albee, who called her "a p ...

and

Herbert Berghof Herbert Berghof (13 September 1909 – 5 November 1990) was an Austrian-American actor, director and acting teacher.Kennedy, Dennis. ''The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance'', Oxford Univ. Press (2010) p. 61 Early life Born and educ ...

HB Studio The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency prog ...

; and with

Stella Adler Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress and acting teacher.
''

"Shakespeare in the Park" with

Joseph Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. He established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in Lower Manhattan. There Papp created a y ...

, to

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

, and finally to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, where he appeared in the Vietnam drama, ''Go Home, Spec 5.'' He made his film debut in 1980 as an extra in ''

Friday the 13th Part 2 ''Friday the 13th Part 2'' is a 1981 American slasher film produced and directed by Steve Miner in his directorial debut, and written by Ron Kurz. It is the sequel to 1980's '' Friday the 13th'', and the second installment in the franchise. Adrie ...

''.Regan, Michael (Friday, 11 July 1987) ''Waterbury Cyclist Aims to Conquer Great Wall''. The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant. During this time, he supplemented his income by giving

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...

lessons and writing for various newspapers, as well as writing two unpublished novels and several plays.Taylor, Robyn (Saturday, 28 July 1990) ''Cyclist Attains Dream at Great Wall''. Ventura County (California) Star Free Press.Li, David K (Saturday, 28 July 1990) ''Cyclist Struggled to get to Great Wall''. Ventura County (California) Daily News.

China tour plans and delays

In 1985, Foster returned to his dream of cycling the

. His hopes were bolstered by finding that

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a ...

was now allowed on the Wall. With the backing of

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

and U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, in 1987 Foster received permission from the Chinese government to attempt to become the first person to travel the Wall's 2000 miles by bicycle. Shortly after receiving permission, Foster was hit by a truck while bicycling, and had to cancel the tour. He attempted to revive the plan the next year, but had difficulty raising the necessary funds. In 1989, a week before Foster was to leave for China, the

Tiananmen Square protests The Tiananmen Square protests, known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident (), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, or in Chinese the June Fourth ...

broke out. The tour was postponed once again, and several corporations dropped their sponsorship fearing a negative association from the massacre.

World record conquest

With time on his hands from the tour's cancellation, Foster broke the world record for traveling the length of the

New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...

in October 1989, finishing in a time of 26 hours, 21 minutes, and 8 seconds.Adams, Robyn (Monday, 23 October 1989) ''This Subway Ride is 1 for the Books''. The American. Waterbury, Connecticut.Adams, Robyn (Tuesday, 21 November 1989) ''"Great Subway Rider" Makes Record Book''. The American. Waterbury, Connecticut.

Great Wall of China tour

A month after his world record conquest, Foster flew to China to begin preparations for a Great Wall tour the following spring. The Chinese government would allow Foster to cover some 2000 miles of the Great Wall from the furthest point west at Jiayuguan to the "First Gate Under Heaven" at

Shanhaiguan Shanhai Pass or Shanhaiguan () is one of the major passes in the Great Wall of China, being the easternmost stronghold along the Ming Great Wall, and commands the narrowest choke point in the Liaoxi Corridor. It is located in Shanhaiguan Di ...

in the east. In exchange, he would promote unity between the U.S. and China. The Chinese government hoped that this would bolster tourism, which had dropped to all-time lows since the events of Tiananmen Square. Foster began his ride on May 9, 1990, wearing a red, white and blue helmet and uniform and riding a newly developed mountain bike in the same design. As he made his first tire tracks in the wall, Foster commented, "Now I know how

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...

felt when he walked on the moon."Foster's Official Website.
www.kevin-foster.com
/ref> Foster's Great Wall of China bicycle expedition lasted 50 days, during which he traveled 1,174.8 miles. He encountered challenges including

sandstorms A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transporte ...

that at one point buried him; a crash that launched him through the Wall onto an ancient skeleton and broke three ribs; rain and hail storms,

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

s, and temperatures up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. He traveled for 15–18 hours per day, covering 25–30 miles, and lost approximately 30 pounds over his three months in China. He and his five-man crew (who carried food and water in their

Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...

s) would occasionally stay in a nearby town to refresh themselves.Liu, Zhuoye (10–16 September 1990) ''Great Wall Dream Comes True''. Beijing Review. Vol 33, No 37. Due to military restrictions, Foster was not allowed to cycle the 1500 miles that made up the Wall's middle section, the area that bordered China from

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...

. He and his team would have to divert north to

Hohhot Hohhot,; abbreviated zh, c=呼市, p=Hūshì, labels=no formerly known as Kweisui, is the capital of Inner Mongolia in the north of the People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrative, economic and cultural center.''The Ne ...

, Inner Mongolia, and then south toward

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. Since he was forced to comply, Foster decided to make another adventure of it, receiving permission to race a pair of Mongolian horsemen for several hundred yards. The race was a

photo finish A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the finis ...

with Foster winning by the width of his bike tire.Smutko, Liz. ''Cyclist of the Year''. Bicycling Magazine, February 1991. In the

Badaling Badaling () is the site of the most visited section of the Great Wall of China, approximately northwest of Beijing's city center, in Badaling Town, Yanqing District (within Beijing municipality). The portion of the wall running through the ...

section of the Wall just north of Beijing, Foster was so mobbed by press and tourists he had to walk his bicycle until the crowds thinned. It was also in this section that he was able to fulfill another dream by sleeping in the towers where the Wall's guards and their families had slept centuries earlier.Associated Press (Monday, 18 June 1990) ''Bicyclist Travels the Wall''. Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Massachusetts. Other sections that stood out for Foster were

Mutianyu Mutianyu () is a section of the Great Wall of China located in Huairou District within the city limits of Beijing northeast of the center of the city. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is connected with Jiankou in the west and Lianhua ...

because it was like riding a

roller coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...

; Pankou, which Chairman Mao had flooded and the only way across was by row boat; and

Simatai Simatai (), a section of the Great Wall of China located in the north of Miyun County, 120 km northeast of Beijing, holds the access to Gubeikou, a strategic pass in the eastern part of the Great Wall. It was closed in June 2010 but has be ...

, which was so steep and narrow that one could only pass through it by crawling on their hands and knees. On June 29, 1990, Foster finished his tour at Shanhaiguan, where he was met by a hoard of tourists, media, hosts, and sponsors. He was also met by guards, who detained Foster and his crew for an hour of interrogation.Associated Press (Sunday, 1 July 1990) ''Cyclist Makes Closing Dash Along Great Wall''. South China Sunday Morning Post. He earned the 1990 Cyclist of the Year award over his friend,

Greg LeMond Gregory James LeMond (born June 26, 1961) is an American former professional road racing cyclist, entrepreneur, and anti-doping advocate. A two-time winner of the Road Race World Championship (1983 and 1989) and a three-time winner of the Tou ...

, who had won the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

; the cycling industry dubbed Foster's journey as, "the last, greatest, cycling adventure on the face of the earth." While Foster had initially planned to return to his acting career, he was convinced by his manager, Charlie Litsky, that he could do much better as an adventure cyclist than a

starving artist {{Short description, Artist who focuses on their art above even their own well-being A starving artist is an artist who sacrifices material well-being in order to focus on their artwork. They typically live on minimum expenses, either for a lack ...

American Summits tour

Following the Great Wall tour, Foster moved from

Ojai, California Ojai ( ; Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and is ...

, to the community of Kaweah, at the base of

Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is an American national park in the southern Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The park was established on September 25, 1890, and today protects of forested mountainous terrain. Encompassing ...

. As he was cycling in the mountains one day, he found a "no biking" sign in an area where he was used to training, as part of a battle by the

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...

to keep bikes off the trails.Henson, Steve (Wednesday, 5 October 1994) ''Going for the Cycle''. Los Angeles (California) Times. The encounter inspired Foster's next tour: a two-year tour called American Summits, which would place a full-scale mountain bike atop the highest natural point in each of the fifty states. Most of Foster's previous sponsors returned, although his bicycle changed from a

Cannondale The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation is an American division of Dutch conglomerate Pon Holdings that supplies bicycles. Its headquarters are in Wilton, Connecticut with engineering offices in Freiburg, Germany. Frames are manufactured in Taiwan. ...

to a Klein, still in the red, white, and blue color scheme. The tour started in the summer of 1993 with multiple setbacks. Just before the tour began, Foster's manager died suddenly at the age of 33. In his first state,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, Foster got lost on the way down from the summit. However, Foster was able to summit 48 state highpoints on his first try.

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Mount Whitney Mount Whitney (Paiute: Tumanguya; ''Too-man-i-goo-yah'') is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of . It is in East–Central California, on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tu ...

(the highest natural point in the continental United States) took him two attempts to succeed. He was placed under arrest at the base of

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a s ...

Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...

's highpoint; after a court hearing held in a parking lot, Foster was allowed to take his bike to the summit as long as he left his wheels behind.Photo & Caption. Life Magazine. September 1990. The last stop on the tour was

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

Mount McKinley Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the thir ...

, the highest natural point on the North American continent. In the summer of 1995, Foster and his team of three others were dropped off by plane at the mountain's 7500-foot base during a blizzard. Immediately afterward, as the plane tried to depart, it was flipped upside-down and destroyed, although the pilot escaped with minor injuries. After they reached the 17,200-foot level and made camp with about 75 other climbers, a storm trapped the group for six days, leading to three deaths. As the storm rose above them briefly, Foster and his team reluctantly retreated, and his sponsors declined to fund a return trip.Henson, Steve (Thursday, 6 July 1995
''Cyclist Finds McKinley isn't Your Average Mountain''
Los Angeles (California) Times. The tour received significant press coverage. Following the tour, the Sierra Club and members of several cycling organizations sat down to negotiate sharing the country's trails.Strickland, Bill. ''American Summits Update''. Bicycling Magazine, July 1994.

Tour de Cuba

Since childhood, Foster had desired to visit

. Following the American Summits tour, Foster accepted an invitation to the country from Cuban president

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

and began planning a tour across the nation, in spite of the

United States embargo against Cuba The United States embargo against Cuba prevents American businesses, and businesses organized under U.S. law or majority-owned by American citizens, from conducting trade with Cuban interests. It is the most enduring trade embargo in modern hist ...

prohibiting Americans from visiting or doing business there.Webb, Tamara (Saturday, 24 January 1998) ''An American in Cuba''. Visalia (California) Times-Delta. Several of Foster's sponsors declined to support the tour, and U.S. senator

Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was an American politician. A leader in the conservative movement, he served as a senator from North Carolina from 1973 to 2003. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ...

called for Foster to be arrested upon his return.Warszawski, Marek (Wednesday, 18 May 2005) ''Cyclist's Life Plays Out on One Wild Ride After Another''. The Fresno (California) Bee. Foster began the Tour de Cuba on November 21, 1997. Foster's journey covered 1,158 miles, from the easternmost point at

Maisí Maisí is a municipality and town in the Guantánamo Province of Cuba. Its administrative seat is located in the town of La Máquina. Geography The easternmost point of Cuba, ''Punta Maisí'' (called "Baitiquiri" by the Taino in pre-colonial tim ...

Playa Larga Playa (plural playas) may refer to: Landforms * Endorheic basin, also known as a sink, alkali flat or sabkha, a desert basin with no outlet which periodically fills with water to form a temporary lake * Dry lake, often called a ''playa'' in the s ...

on the

Zapata Peninsula Zapata Peninsula ( es, Península de Zapata) is a large peninsula in Matanzas Province, southern Cuba, at . Ciénaga de Zapata National Park is located on the peninsula. It is located south of Ensenada de la Broa, east of the gulf of Batabano an ...

. Unlike his previous tours, Foster traveled this one with a co-rider representing Cuba, Alfredo Rodriguez Martinez. Like his previous tours, this one included an arrest, when Maisí's captain of the guard could not initially verify that Foster was a guest of Castro. The matter was cleared up the next day, and Foster was able to begin his ride. Over the three-week tour, Foster visited many of Cuba's landmarks, such as the grave of national hero

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the libera ...

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

; Cuba's highest natural point in

Pico Turquino Pico Turquino (), sometimes erroneously spelled as Pico Torquino, is the highest point in Cuba. It is located in the southeast part of the island, in the Sierra Maestra mountain range in the municipality of Guamá, Santiago de Cuba Province. Etym ...

; and the

Bay of Pigs The Bay of Pigs ( es, Bahía de los Cochinos) is an inlet of the Gulf of Cazones located on the southern coast of Cuba. By 1910, it was included in Santa Clara Province, and then instead to Las Villas Province by 1961, but in 1976, it was reas ...

, which had become a luxury resort. The tour completed on December 11, 1997.Foster, Kevin. ''Cycling Castro's Country: The Tour de Cuba''. Pisces Publications. California (2004) The tour would be the longest bicycle tour in Cuba's history until Ben Graham Jones' crossing two decades later. On his way home that December, Foster was met by government officials at the

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario, Canada, airport while trying to board a connecting flight. Foster's passport was scanned and sent to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, but no arrest or further confrontations ever materialized. In January 1998, Foster announced his retirement from being an adventure cyclist, having proved that a mountain bike could be taken anywhere with the right motivation.

Post-retirement projects

In the years following his retirement, Foster made many personal appearances at events for his sponsors and for charity, as well as private engagements. Since 2006, he has held an annual charity bike ride in

to benefit

Smile Train Smile Train is a nonprofit organization and charity providing corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates. Headquartered in New York City and founded in 1999, Smile Train provides free corrective cleft surgery in 87 countries, ...

, an organization providing surgery to children with cleft lips and palates.Carroll, Gerald (Wednesday, 18 August 2010) Bicycle Adventurer' Foster Plans Movie''. Visalia (California) Times-Delta.Foster, Kevin (Friday, 24–30 September 2010) ''Fifth Annual Smile Train Ride''. The Kaweah Commonwealth. Three Rivers, California. Foster returned to acting with the 2005 feature film '' Yesterday's Dreams'', which he wrote, produced, and starred in. In 2008, he co-wrote and executive produced the documentary '' Hollywood on Fire'', about

influence in the film industry. The film was released in 2009.Internet Movie Database.
Yesterday's Dreams
'.Internet Movie Database.
Hollywood on Fire
'. In 2009, Foster co-produced his friend

Danny Saber Danny Saber (born 1966) is a musician in Los Angeles. He is an audio engineer, record producer, and remixer as well. He is a former member of Black Grape and Agent Provocateur. He plays organ, and keyboards, and is a prominent Los Angeles DJ. Sa ...

's debut album, ''Saber Bytes''.College Radio Report. 18 August 2009
www.cmj.com

References

External links

* *
Kevin Foster
on the Aerospoke web site
Kevin Foster
on the

Marquis Who's Who Marquis Who's Who ( or ) is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in America'', ''Who's Who of American Wome ...

web site
Kevin Foster
on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Kevin 1960 births American male cyclists American mountain bikers Living people Male actors from California Writers from California Sportspeople from Waterbury, Connecticut Cyclists from New York City American people of English descent American people of Welsh descent American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent American people of Spanish descent American people of Jewish descent People from Tulare County, California People from Ojai, California Sportspeople from Ventura County, California