When Newtown resident Michael Berry saddles up for the 100-mile leg of the Boston to Hyannis Port Best Buddies Challenge on June 3, the fledgling cyclist will be riding alongside another athlete not immediately recognized for his skills on a bicycle: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

But while Mr Berry said he is thrilled to be in such well-known company on the ride, his daughter remains the main inspiration behind why he is participating in this first major fundraiser for the special needs support and inclusion effort.

He met with The Newtown Bee ahead of a May 3 training ride with his friend and experienced cyclist Dan Murphy, as Mr Berry was getting a few adjustments made to his Felt brand bike at Sandy Hook Bicycles.

Owner Terrence Ford, a former professional cycling and Tour De France support technician and himself an avid cyclist, stepped up to ensure that Mr Berry has a safe and capable bike to complete the 100-mile ride, and the hundreds of miles he will put on the bike during pre-Challenge training.

"I came to Terrence and told him what I was planning, said I needed a bike, and he set me up immediately," Mr Berry said.

Never having been a competitive cyclist, Mr Berry nonetheless signed up for the Challenge after learning about an opening on Team John Hancock, of which Mr Murphy is a member this year. He's doing it because of the positive experiences he has seen his daughter Amanda enjoy as a member of the Newtown High School Best Buddies program.

The ride beneficiary, Best Buddies International, is a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, and integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Best Buddies is also the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of more than 200 million people with IDD.

"She is involved as a volunteer with Best Buddies at the high school," he said, "and I started going to her events, and first became exposed to how important her role is as a buddy. And I was able to appreciate firsthand what the organization is doing."

Then the serendipitous call came from Mr Murphy.

"He's a finance guy, as I am, and he said John Hancock had two slots left on the 2017 riding team to benefit Best Buddies - do you want to do the ride?" Mr Berry recalled. "And then he said we'll be riding with Tom Brady and members of the Patriots, which sweetened the proposition. But I was already in."

That drove Mr Berry and Mr Murphy, who is also a spin instructor, to purchase new bikes and hit the road.

"It's inspiring to see my daughter working at the dances and events, and how the inclusion of these kids and families help them to feel more a part of their peer community," he said. "I may not have a special child, but from what I saw I was inspired to get involved in this ride."

He started his training by riding his new bike from home to all his children's after school and weekend events. The 100-mile segment of the Challenge is held in 20-mile legs, and Mr Berry is confident he will be ready.

He is also hoping to get further support from community members who may either want to sponsor him, or make a contribution to the Best Buddies cause. As of the day of his interview, Team John Hancock and its 50-plus riders had already raised $75,000.

Upon hearing about Mr Berry's hope to complete his first 100-mile ride for such a worthy cause, Mr Ford outfitted the local rider with a sturdy road bike.

"These are the first level of performance road bikes, and great models to start with," he said. "These bikes will go 3,000 to 5,000 miles before they even need to start replacing parts. First and foremost is fitting the bike properly, teaching them some basic mechanics in case they need to change a tire, and a little road etiquette - how to be safe on the bike."

To learn more, and support Mr Berry's ride, visit his fundraising site.