This article appeared in Cheatham County Exchange on September 1, 2026, by Sharon Alice Lurie. Copyright Main Street Media.
A near-death experience and a mass casualty event reshaped the priorities of one Tennessee elected official — and sparked five years of solo cycling in honor of flood victims.
State Sen. Kerry Roberts, who represents the 23rd District, completed his fifth and final 100-mile annual solo bicycle ride in honor of the Waverly flood victims Saturday, Aug. 22.
The ride began at Historic Beeches in Springfield and ended at the Humphreys County Courthouse in Waverly, Tenn. The route takes a slightly different path each year as Roberts travels through a portion of each of the six counties he represents in the Tennessee General Assembly. The 23rd District comprises all of Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman, Humphreys and Robertson counties and a portion of Montgomery County.
Roberts, an Indiana native who now resides in Springfield, told Main Street Media the ride was inspired after he suffered a brain aneurysm in 2020. As he healed, he attended several events where some attendees made comments along the lines of “I thought you were dead.”
Wanting to prove he was still alive inspired him to train for a long-distance bike ride. Before he had the chance to embark on that journey, however, the Waverly flood took 20 lives and destroyed numerous homes and businesses on Aug. 21, 2021, giving him pause and a new perspective.
“At that point, it just seemed so self-centered and self-serving trying to ride a bike to say, look, ‘I’m fine’. Yet here, people have lost their loved ones and their business,” Roberts said.
Shortly after, Roberts said he was contacted by an anonymous donor who wanted to give $50,000 to flood survivors but wanted help getting others to match the donation.
Roberts then learned that a community trick-or-treat was being planned in Waverly and that organizers needed help spreading the word. He decided to incorporate his bike ride idea to assist, using his contacts with news media and the United Way of Humphreys County to keep victims’ stories alive and support for survivors going.
“I decided what I’d do is I’ll plan my ride for Sunday, Oct. 31, and we’ll use all our press contacts to press release it to the media, and when people will call me and ask me about the bike ride, I’ll say, ‘I’m really not interested in any interviews, but what I’m interested in you doing is going and covering the event on Oct. 31,'” Roberts said.
The 100-mile ride takes about six to seven hours, according to Roberts, who averages 16 to 17 mph over the hilly terrain between Robertson and Humphreys counties. He uses the time for praise and worship and reflection for those whose lives were forever changed by the catastrophic flood, keeping the names of the 20 victims taped to his bike. Roberts said he has asked the governor and others to join him on the ride but has made it alone each time — a choice that helps keep him focused.
“I want to think about these families and the impact of this event on them. I don’t want to turn it into a buddy ride where you’re just sitting there shooting a breeze with your friends while you’re riding along. It needs to mean something,” Roberts said.
So many eyes were focused on Waverly in the immediate aftermath of the flood, but like any tragedy, the long-term effects are often unnoticed by those not directly touched by it. Humphreys County has seen its share of hardship through the years, which, coupled with economic strains on the area, make recovery challenging for longtime residents. Roberts said he hopes the annual rides have helped those still rebuilding continue to feel seen.
“It gives them the encouragement that they need that people have not forgotten them,” Roberts said.
Donations to benefit families and businesses impacted by the flood can be made to United Way of Humphreys County, P.O. Box 212, Waverly, Tenn. 37185. For more information about Roberts, visit KerryRoberts.com.