Clay Sneed, 22, lives in Cleveland, Tennessee and has a passion for improving the lives of others. He works as a firefighter for the Cleveland Fire Department, where he can fulfill his sense of purpose every single day. Prior to being a firefighter, Clay was the state of Tennessee’s youngest Funeral Director and Embalmer, in which he took pride in caring for family’s loved ones as they went through some of the most challenging times of their lives.
Clay, as well as his family, are very familiar with Alzheimer’s Disease. “My grandmother lived with Alzheimer’s for over 12 years, and I truly believe that Alzheimer’s research will positively impact almost every family in the United States. I’m riding in honor of not only my grandmother, Anne Sneed, but also for every family’s loved one, because Alzheimer’s disease is something that we all fight together.”
Sneed’s family is developing a state-of-the-art Assisted Living/Memory Care community in Cleveland, Remember Me Senior Care, that uses cutting edge research and a culture of unmatched care to best care for those with memory care diseases. Their neighborhood community breaks the mold of traditional Alzheimer’s care by allowing the resident to be cared for in a neighborhood of warm farmhouses, with home-cooked meals and highly individual care.
Sneed states, “With my grandmother having Alzheimer’s for a great period of time, we felt like with our experience, we could truly give back to the community by giving other families the trustworthy care that their loved one needs. It is just one more way we can improve the treatment of Alzheimer’s and better serve each and every family.”
An active lifestyle is of vast importance for Clay. With his job of being a firefighter, he must be in top shape every day, ready to answer at a moment’s notice whenever his community calls. Even when he is not the fire hall, you will commonly find him outdoors running, cycling, swimming, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, trout fishing, kayaking, or golfing.
Clay recently completed the 2018 Chattanooga Ironman triathlon in a time of 13 hours and 30 minutes. When asked about how that race compares to riding 1,098 miles, Sneed states, “On one hand, they are both endurance events, and I absolutely love the challenge of an endurance event. It is definitely physical but the longer the event lasts, the more and more it becomes a mental challenge and that’s what I love. On the other hand, this ride is going to be completely different than anything I’ve ever done before. The fatigue of riding every single day, back-to-back, will be very challenging. I look forward to pushing myself physically, mentally, and probably spiritually, in order to complete this ride. I am all in and super excited to ride for this great cause!”
