Washington, DC

Its the last day of the trip and it is an incredibly bitter sweet feeling. We had 30 miles and the skies were clear the whole way. We arrived at George Washington University around 9:30 AM and had an hour and a half to wait for our arrival to the Capitol. We got to see two other Purdue Pi Kapps who now work for the national fraternity. 11 AM came quick and we got in line behind the vans and police escort to head up Pennsylvania Ave to make our way to the Capitol. It was 90 degrees but somehow I still got goosebumps. James and I rode third in line. It was an incredible feeling to just see the monuments and finally see the Capitol building. There were hundreds of spectators awaiting our arrival. We finally made it to DC and after listening to a few speeches and team pictures it was time to finally see my family and friends who came to see me. This was the summer of my life and an incredible experience that I will remember for my entire life!

Manassas, VA

Today we had a short 50 mile ride to Manassas. It was pouring rain the whole day but at least it was warm. Every other day it has rained this summer is has been under 50 which makes the rain even worse. We had another Chipotle lunch which was great. That evening we met both the North and South teams for an all team lunch. There we discussed the arrival. That evening we had to finish our team activity and headed to bed.

Fredericksburg, VA

Today we had a 50 mile ride to Fredericksburg. We have been having some of our best weather of the trip through WV and VA. We had a Chipotle lunch and had some free time to go to Walmart and bike shops. That night we had a friendship visit and dinner. We had a great visit and headed back to lodging for a team activity.

Richmond, VA

Today we had a 70 mile ride to Richmond, VA. We had another great day to ride. That afternoon we did our Kids on the Block presentation. Brandon, Dave, and I gave two presentations on bike safety to the little ones. That night we had a great dinner supplied by a Pi Alpha. James and I met up with two fraternity brothers we know from Purdue. It was great to see some old friends and enjoy their company.

Farmville, VA

Today we had our last century to Farmville, VA. It was a fun ride with great weather. We arrived at Longwood University and had a great lunch there. That evening we had a friendship visit and dinner at STEPS. STEPS is an organization that employs people with disabilities to work and make military uniforms. We had a great visit and headed back to our hotel for the night.

Roanoke, VA

This morning we had a short 40 mile ride to Roanoke. Before we started the ride the team rode over to the Virginia Tech memorial to pay our respects to those who lost their lives a few years ago during the tragic school shooting. The ride was mostly downhill which was nice because we were all extremely sore. We arrived at Hotel Roanoke and got ready for our friendship visit that evening. We hit the town that night as our days our coming to an end.

The next day we went to Rob Hamilton's lake house and enjoyed a day on the lake. We all got to tube, swim and kayak. It was a great day to just relax. That evening we drove to an Easter Seals camp where we ate dinner with the campers. We all called it an early night as this is our last day off and probably our last day to get a good nights sleep.

Blacksberg, VA

Today we had a 100 mile ride into Blacksberg, VA. It is weird to be in the last state of the journey. It feels like just yesterday when I was on a plane to Seattle. Today was one of the hardest days of the trip. The ride was just ascending and descending the mountains. The total ride took about 8 hours to complete. We arrived at Virginia Tech which where both Fred and Kenny go to school. That evening we had dinner at the dining courts and then hit the town.

Beckley, WV

Today we had a 70 mile ride to Beckley, WV. We started climbing the mountains today which are much different than the mountains we climbed out west. There are no switch-backs and its pretty much straight up and down with grades reaching 15%. It was a tough day but we all got through it. That night we had a friendship visit and dinner. After dinner we headed over to the local dirt track to watch some good ol' dirt car racing. It was a blast and after the races we all got to bed as soon as we could as we have head that tomorrow is one of the hardest days of the trip.

Charleston, WV

We had a short 45 mile day into the capital of West Virginia, Charleston. We arrived at a friendship visit with a local children therapy center. After the friendship visit we departed for a local community center which is where we were staying for the night. That evening we went to a single A baseball game which was a blast. We got front row seats and I caught two baseballs!

Huntington, WV

Today we had 75 miles to get into a new state and get to Huntington, WV. The ride was full of rolling hills which are a ton of fun to use momentum to get up and down the hills. We arrived at the Holiday Inn which means we get beds again. That night we had dinner and a friendship visit. We headed back to lodging where I cleaned my bike and hit the hay.

Moorehead, KY

This morning we had a 55 mile ride to Moorehead, KY. The ride went quick and we had a great lunch at CiCi's pizza. That evening we had a friendship visit and departed back to lodging where we had beds again! It was another early night as the whole team is getting pretty tired and sleep is a vital part of journey.

Lexington, KY

Today we had a 95 mile ride into Lexington, KY.  It was an extremely pretty ride the entire way with rolling hills going through the horse ranches of Kentucky.  We arrived at our lodging in downtown Lexington and headed to a friendship visit.  We ate and danced the night away with all the clients.  We headed out on to explore the University of Kentucky that night and then headed to bed.  This morning we woke up and headed off to another friendship visit where we painted and worked on art projects with the clients.  That evening we had a sponsored dinner at a local restaurant.  Since we haven’t had internet in over a week, I’m currently sitting at Starbucks typing up all these blogs to try to get everyone up to date.  Bedtime after this one is finished!

Cincinnati, OH

Today we had a 115 mile day into Cincinnati. The team made it about 80 miles and had to rack because the Reds versus Braves game got moved from 7 PM to 4 PM. We made it to the game just in time for the first pitch. Katie met us at the game and we ended up sitting almost as high as you can in the ballpark but it did have a great view. The Reds were down 2 late in the game and made a strong comeback to win 6-2 in an exciting ending. After the game I took my van to Skyline Chili so they could enjoy some delicious Coney Dogs and then headed back to lodging to get some sleep.

Indianapolis, IN

We had another short 50 mile day into Indianapolis today. Most of the day I rode along with Kyle Pluchar, a crew member from Purdue, who participated in his crew ride along. Each crew member is a encouraged to ride along with the cyclist at least once throughout the summer and Kyle was our first of the summer. We had an arrival with Outside the Box at a local park. This friendship visit was one I have been looking forward to the entire summer. In the past, the team did not have a friendship visit on their first day in Indianapolis. I was lucky enough to come in contact with Outside the Box and set up the visit for this year. We had a delicious lunch and then played kickball and everyone had a blast. That evening the team headed over to my house for dinner and then headed off to the local watering holes to enjoy the night.

The next day we headed over to Noble of Indiana for a friendship visit. This was by far one of the most organized visits we’ve had all summer. I mainly staying the art and disc golf areas and just hung out with the clients. It was great to have my family and girlfriend there for the friendship visits so they could see everything that we do on a daily basis for the summer. That evening the Kelly family sponsored a huge taco dinner. We had an early wake up the next morning so everyone went back to the dorms and fell right asleep.

Bloomington, IN

Only 55 miles to Bloomington today, which used to considered a long day but now is a very short day. I was very excited because my parents, grandma, and girlfriend were coming down to visit. We arrived at Stone Belt for a friendship visit and all the clients were outside awaiting our arrival. The friendship visit was great and had everything from dancing to basketball to bingo. That evening we were treated to a dinner at Scotty’s by Phil Summers, Indiana University’s chapter advisor. That evening Donovan met up with us and we headed out on the town to enjoy each other’s company.

Terre Haute, IN

We had a 65 mile ride into Indiana today and it felt great to be back in the home state. We arrived at Indiana State University, where one of our team members, Jared, studies business. That evening we had a huge friendship visit with Happiness Bag. We danced our socks up the entire night. We headed back to lodging where the team enjoyed a movie and then headed to bed.

Effingham, IL

Today we had a 115 mile ride to Effingham, IL. Once we crossed the Mississippi the terrain flattened out which made the ride much easier. After we arrived we had a sponsored dinner with the Elks and headed out on the town before hitting the hay.

St. Louis, MO

Today we had a short 55 mile ride into St. Louis.  For the last 25 miles of the ride we had a full police escort into the city which was incredible.  It took us about an hour to ride into the city passing through all the stop lights with the cops.  We arrived at the a park near the Arch and had tons of family and friends cheering us on.  That night we had dinner at an older alums house.  We departed dinner and headed over to Sky Zone.  Sky Zone is a recreational center where the floor is made of trampolines.  The team enjoyed an hour of trampoline dodgeball before heading back to the hotel for the night.

We all woke up for an awesome breakfast at the hotel and headed off to a friendship visit.  The whole afternoon I fished with some people from the Arc of St Louis which was a great time.  For dinner we headed over to Whitey Holt’s house, a member of the 2009 Trans-America team.  After dinner we headed to bed early again to try to catch up on sleep.

Columbia, MO

We had a 75 mile day today and it was extremely hilly.  We arrived at the University of Missouri Pi Kapp chapter house which is our lodging for the evening.  That afternoon I put a new chain on my bike.  My old chain was stretched out and started to skip gears so it was time for a new one.  That night the guys barbecued us burgers and hot dogs.  Once again we all hit the hay early so we could wake up at 5 am again.

Sedalia, KS

Today we had a long 105 mile ride into Sedalia.  It was extremely hilly which was nice to use the momentum to get up the hills.  That evening we had a hog roast and friendship visit where I played in a huge game of volleyball with everyone.  Once again we called it an early night for another 5 am wake up.

Olathe, KS

Today we had a 60 mile ride into Olathe, KS.  We arrived at City Hall where the Mayor of the city proclaimed July 19, 2010 to be Push America Day.  We departed City Hall to the Kansas School for the Deaf which was our lodging for the next two days. After showering up we went to Marc Cameron's house to get a tour.  When Marc was in his 20's he had a diving accident and broke his neck.  His entire house is accessible through buttons that he can press with his head on his wheelchair and through a lift system.  Seeing the house really opened my eyes to how someone who is quadriplegic can live independently.  That evening we had a huge steak dinner at Texas Roadhouse which was delicious. 

The next morning we had an omelet breakfast followed by an awesome friendship visit at a local therapeutic center for children.  That night we had a tailgate dinner and went to the Royals game.  Scott, Eva, and Nick joined us for the Royals game and it was great to see family.  Before the game the team was recognized on the field in-front of the crowd.  We went to bed pretty early as we have three 5 am wake ups in a row.

Topeka, KS

We woke up today to the normal Kansas weather we have been accustomed to, 100 degrees and extremely humid.  We had a short 60 mile ride into Topeka.  We arrived at the Topeka ARC for lunch and headed to the hotel to get all set up.  That night we headed back over to the ARC for a friendship visit filled with karaoke.  After the friendship visit, we were invited back to one of the ARC members house for dinner and pool time.  It was a great way to finish the night.  We're heading up to Kansas City tomorrow and I'm excited to see my brother Scott, his wife Eva and my cousin Nick for the next two days.

Emporia, KS

Today we had a 105 mile ride into Emporia, KS.  It was 95 degrees with almost 100% humidity which made the ride feel a ton longer than 105 miles.  We arrived at the local recreational center.  That night we had a great sponsored event with a huge dinner.  We enjoyed the pool tables and ping pong tables in the rec center before heading to bed for the evening.

Wichita, KS

Today we had an 80 mile day into Wichita. We had another great arrival to a friendship visit where we played Bingo and had lunch. That evening we had a sponsored meal from a parent of a 4 time Journey of Hope member. That night we went out on the town to enjoy our night off. In the morning we had a sponsored breakfast. This is the best meal to sponsor because we are used to a half or bagel, half of banana, and a small cup of cereal. So to have a nice home cooked breakfast was wonderful. From there we went to an afternoon friendship visit and lunch. Brandon and I left the friendship visit to go talk about the Journey of Our Talk. Our Talk is a local afternoon talk show. We were on live air for about 8 minutes talking about the mission of Push America and the Journey of Hope. We had the afternoon off so I took a glorious nap. That evening we had a friendship visit with a local organization that aids people with disabilities to become independent. I met a woman who was just able to purchase a walker from the funds that we donated to the organization. It was very fulfilling to see that the hard work that I put into fundraising has made a difference and allowed a woman to continue to live independently. I also met the CEO of an organization called Lose Your Training Wheels. The organization teaches people with disabilities to ride bikes. They hold camps around the country each summer and I am looking forward to seeing when the camp is in Indianapolis to see if I can volunteer there next year. That night we took a quick swim in the hotel pool and called it a night. We have reached our mid-way point and most southern point of the trip here in Wichita. From here we start heading north and start counting down the next 2000 miles till Washington, DC.

Pratt, KS

Today we had an 80 mile ride into Pratt, KS.  With this 80 miles I crossed the 2000 mile mark.  James and I are still 2 of the 3 cyclists who have every mile and are lucky no to have any bike problems thus far.  We had an arrival at our friendship visit and had a great lunch.  We all sang karaoke and play Wii all afternoon.  That night we had an awesome steak dinner with the local archery club.  After dinner we got to test out our talent with the bows.  Let’s just say that I am very happy that we no longer rely on bows and arrows for food because I would not survive.  That night we had a small team meeting and then headed to bed.

Dodge City, KS

We had a short 50 mile day today into Dodge City. The heat wave we have had the past week has been incredible. It had been over 100 degrees each of the last 5 days on the bike and overnight lows of 75-80 degrees. We were stopped for about an hour on the road for construction and had to rack in the last 10 miles to make our friendship visit. We had an awesome friendship visit and lunch with Arrowhead West. I had the pleasure of playing bingo with Roger. He was a huge NFL fan so we had a great time talking about how the Colts were going to beat the Chiefs next season. That night we went to Old Dodge City, a replica 1870’s cowboy city. We toured the city, watched the gun show, had dinner, and enjoyed the old western show. After a day full of events its time to ‘get the hell outta Dodge’ and head to Pratt tomorrow on an 80 mile day.

Garden City, KS

Today we rode 105 miles into Garden City, KS. It's nice to get to a new state but honestly Kansas does not have the greatest scenery and is especially not the most aromatic state in the country. We arrived at a huge pool and got about 2 hours to swim. Tonight, the team went to Golden Corral which was incredible. We are all taking it easy tonight after the 4:30 AM wake-up this morning and heading to bed early.

Lamar, CO

We had a short 60 mile day into Lamar today. Most of the ride was slightly downhill which made it easier. We stayed at the local high school again and had the afternoon to enjoy the pool. That evening we had a sponsored dinner with beef and chicken burritos which were delicious. We head into Kansas tomorrow on a 105 mile day and it should be exciting to enter another new state.

La Junta, CO

Today we had the longest day in JOH history of 133 miles. We left around 6 AM and got in at 4:45 PM. We spent about 7 of those hours riding and the other time at crew stops or lunch. It was a really good ride and we averaged about 20 mph. We arrived at the local high school and showered up to head to the park for a sponsored dinner from the Lion’s Club. Overall, it was a really satisfying day being able to complete the entire 133 miles.

Colorado Springs, CO

We woke up to cool weather in Denver to depart on our 70 mile day to Colorado Springs.  Bruce Rogers rode with the team today which was really cool to ride with the man who was the inspiration for the Journey of Hope.  We arrived at the Alex Roth's parent’s house for a sponsored lunch.  Alex is the Director of Team Services for Push America and the man responsible for getting most of the team together this year.  We had an awesome lunch and departed for Colorado College for lodging.  The team has another night of beds (we are getting spoiled).  That evening for dinner we met with the Dean of Colorado College for a huge barbeque on the campus of the college.  That night we were all tired from the ride so we took it easy and headed to bed early. 

The next morning we woke up to a wonderful sponsored breakfast with great breakfast burritos.  Around noon, we departed for the Olympic Training Center.  John Pierce sponsored the event.  He is one of the men who organized and rode in the first Journey of Hope, sits as a board member for Push America, and is the liaison between the Olympics and their television partner NBC.  We had lunch in the dorms with some Paralympics athletes.  The tour we got of the facilities was incredible.  To see the training environments that the Olympians have was a great experience.  That evening we had dinner at John Pierce’s house and enjoyed some ping pong and Wii.

Denver, CO

Today we all woke up very excited to get into Denver.  We had a short 25 mile day and the weather was perfect.  The team arrived at Invesco Field with the North Team cheering us in to the arrival.  James and I got to see some friends who we have met through other Push America events who currently cycle for the North team.  It was also nice to see some people that were a part of my brother's Trans team last year.  Both teams got a tour of the field and took tons of pictures.  After the tour both team ate lunch and prepared for our arrival to the State Capital Building.  We had a police escort from Invesco Field to the Capital for the entire 5 mile ride which was awesome.  We arrived at the Capital to cheering parents, friends, and sponsors.  The Governor of Colorado spoke about the initiatives the state had embarked for people with disablitlites and came around to thank each one of us individually for the work we are doing.  After our huge arrival we departed for lodging which was at the Marriott Courtyard in downtown Denver.  Lodging was provided by Bruce Rogers, one of the founders of KRG Captial, Journey of Hope's title sponsor, and the man who rode his bike across the country in 1987 to raise money and awareness for Push America's mission.  Bruce is the inspiration for the Journey of Hope and it was incredible to meet the man who started it all.

That evening we had one of biggest friendship visits, Peddle for Pennies sponsored by KRG Capital and Push America.  At the event, cyclists from the teams join up with Special Olympics athletes and ride laps around a pond in a local park.  The Special Olympics athletes are sponsored for each lap that they ride.  I rode with a 24 year old girl named Emily.  Together we completed 10 laps around the pond and she was ecstatic.  We all had dinner together and had a huge dance afterward with all the athletes and the Push America staff that flew in for the festivities.  That evening we had a chance to go out on the town with the North team and enjoy each others company.

We woke up early the next morning to go watch the 30th annual Paralyzed Veterans of America Wheelchair Games.  We watched table tennis, nine-ball, and the slalom, which was essentially a huge obstacle course meant to mimic the daily obstacles that one in a wheelchair encounters.  Watching the slalom was really inspiring and once again showcased the incredible abilities of one with a disability.  That afternoon we traveled to Craig Hospital (I know, great name) which is one of the top 10 rehabilitation centers in the country for spine and brain injuries.  We toured the hospital which was extremely interesting to see the medical advances in the field.  After our tour we got a chance to take on the local quad rugby team.  Quad rugby, or murderball (should still be called this), is a 4 on 4 game where athletes who are quadriplegic try to advance a ball down a court to score through a goal line.  Jason, a Gold Medal quad rugby player from the Beijing Olympics, taught us the rules and we jumped in the chairs to play.  It was 2 JOH members and 2 quad athletes per team.  We each played for 5 minutes and those 5 minutes were exhilarating.  There is a main strategy to set blocks for the player with the ball.  To set a block you literally get going as fast as you can and the chair and hit the opponents chair as hard as you could but at first was scary but then became fun.  Some guys got hit so hard that they got air in the chair and one of the guys actually had his chair, which is about 50 pounds, knocked over by a hit.  The teams then split and it was our best four versus their best four.  We scored first and then they went on a 10-1 run and won the game 10-2.  This sport is part of the total rehabilitation for patients at Craig Hospital and once again showed that no one should be defined by what they can not do but rather by what they can do.

That night we had a sponsored dinner at Chipoltle and headed over to Coors Field to watch the Rockies play the Cardinals.  As an avid Cubs fan I obviously rooted against the Cardinals.  During the both teams joined together to start the wave which lasted the entire 7th inning.  The Cards were up 7-4 in the 8th when the Rockies scored 4 to tie the game. The game came to the bottom of the ninth when the Rockies hit a walk off home run and everyone went crazy.  It was a great way to end an awesome two days in Denver.  We said our goodbyes to the North team and headed back to lodging knowing we had an early wake up to get to Colorado Springs in the morning.

Boulder, CO

The team had a short 50 mile day to head to Boulder from Fort Collins. We arrived at the a local rec center to meet with some paralympic athletes who race wheelchairs.  One of the men there is a former Boston Marathon winner with a time of 1 hour and 30 minutes.  There were two racing chairs set up on rollers for the team to race each other.  Each person had one minute to see how fast and far they could go.  Needless to say, after that one minute my arms were dead and I was extremely out of breath.  This was a great friendship visit that really showcased the abilities of people with disabilities.  The media was out at the event and you can read the story and see the video they took from this link: http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15444552.  We had a friendship visit with Sky'z the Limit where we had dinner, and played basketball, softball, and yard games.  That night our lodging fell through and Jessi, a member of the 2008 Trans-America team let us all stay in his apartment.  We crashed in the garage which was a funny site to see 20 guys pile into a garage.  We are all really excited for tomorrows huge arrival into Denver and to meet up with the north team.

Fort Collins, CO

We had a nice 60 mile ride into Colorado today. We stopped at the state border to finish lighting off the remaining fireworks as Colorado has a ban on all fireworks. The team had its third crash of the trip and a few guys had to go to the hospital to get head scans for concussions. Both the cyclists are doing great and will hopefully be back on the bike soon. We had lunch sponsored by the Zeta Phi chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at Colorado State University. The team hung out at their chapter house for the day and relaxed. Dinner was sponsored by parents of one of the chapter brother’s parents at a local restaurant. The team went out on the town for the night and enjoyed the company of the Zeta Phi Pi Kapps.

Cheyenne, WY

Today we had a 75 mile ride and since we did not make the rack point the day before, 6 of us decided to be the first paceline and push through the day to try to get to lodging in time.  The ride was mainly rolling hills and we gained about 1500 feet over the course of the day.  We finished the ride in 4 hours and had some time to relax before lunch.  Lunch was provided by the Lady Cowbells of Wyoming which is the same group as the Cattlewomen’s Association.  We ate in a barn at one of the most famous bull seed ranches in the country.  We toured the ranch which was really interesting and was really the first time I’ve ever been on a ranch.  That evening we had a friendship visit with the Arc.  They provided us with a delicious spaghetti dinner and I spent my visit playing on the jungle gym with Riley, an 8 year old boy with Autism.  We got back to lodging with high spirits and played some intense volleyball.   A lot of team members live in states where they have law prohibiting fireworks so many team members went out and bought outrageous amounts of fireworks which we lit off in the parking lot to end the night.

Wheatland, WY

We woke up this morning to beautiful Wyoming weather with no clouds in the sky. We had a 125 mile day ahead of us and due to some schedules mis-communications we did not leave lodging till 8 AM. We had 25 to 30 mph side and head winds for almost all of the ride. The team ended up making it 100 miles before having to rack the bikes so we could make dinner. The Cattlewomen’s Association provided us with dinner. We drove to a huge ranch to have dinner. The team is always extremely excited to learn in the morning that the Cattlewomen are providing dinner because they know how to feed a small army of cyclists.

Casper, WY

The team woke up to gorgeous sunny weather to start another 105 mile day.  This morning at breakfast, we met members of the Texas 4000 cycling team who are riding from Austin, TX to Anchorage, AK to raise money for MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.   It was exciting to meet a group of individuals who are participating in a similar event and share stories from the road.

The day ride was long and the team arrived at lodging 8 hours after we began.  It was a scorcher again in Wyoming with temperatures in the 90’s most of the day.  There were not many problems on the road and the only thing that slowed us down was a nice, constant side wind.  We all arrived safely at the Kelly Walsh High School and had an hour to shower up and get ready for the friendship visit.

That evening we had an awesome friendship visit and dinner with NOWCAP whose motto is “Creating opportunities for people with disabilities”.  This was the first time that the Trans-America team has met with the organization.  We all enjoyed some Pizza Hut pizza and after dinner we went to the rec recreational room to play Wii, Pool, and tons of other games.  This was an incredible friendship visit and there is a very high possibility that the Journey of Hope will be meeting with NOWCAP in the years to come.

The next day in Casper we had our first Kids on the Block puppet show for the Boys and Girls Club.  I did not get to my skip because the kids were getting restless and we only had time for two skits.  That evening we then had a friendship visit with the Arc.  We had a huge barbeque and played lawn games for the rest of the night.

Shashoni, WY

Today we had a 105 mile day and it was gorgeous. I rode with the first paceline and we had no problems through the day and finished in just over 6 hours with lunch. It got up to 98 degrees by the end of the ride and everyone was drinking as much water as they possibly could to stay hydrated. That night we had dinner at the local senior center and everyone headed home to get a good night sleep for another 105 mile day tomorrow.

Doubouis, WY

Today we started our long trek of over 500 miles in 5 days of riding.  We had an 80 mile day and it was nice and sunny with no clouds in the sky.  We biked through the Grand Teton National Park and the Grand Teton National Forest which provided great scenery for the route.  We had to rack the bikes for about 10 miles due to construction on the pass.  The team had a 15 mile climb today which brought up so the highest point we will reach throughout the summer of 8750 feet.  My legs felt great on the climb but my lungs were struggling in the high altitude especially when all my training was done below 1000 feet.  Today we crossed the 1000 mile mark of the trip making us 25% of the way complete.  There are 5 cyclists that have ridden every mile and James and I are representing Purdue well by being 2 of those 5 cyclists.  This evening we had dinner sponsored by the local Cattlewomen’s Association and as you can probably guess it was delicious.  We practiced our Kids on the Block puppet show for the Cattlewomen.  I play the part of Brenda who interacts with Ellen who has Down Syndrome.  The puppet show is meant to teach young children how to interact with people with disabilities and to learn that one should never be defined by what they cannot do but rather what they can do.  I spent the night cleaning my bike, re-taping the handlebars, and putting on a new front tire due to a piece of glass that did not get along with my old tire.

Each morning the team has a circle up to talk about the ride that day.  We also have a presentation by one of the team members called the “disability of the day”.  I gave the first little presentation on spina bifida.  Spina bifida is a fetal birth defect that causes an incomplete enclosure of the spinal cord.  When a baby is born with spina bifida, their lower spinal cord nerves are severely damaged and they have trouble using their lower extremities.  The prevention for this disability is for women who may be pregnant to take a prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid.

At circle up we also dedicate the ride to someone we met a friendship visit or someone who has affected our lives.  James Loy dedicated a ride to Donovan Higgins, a good friend and Purdue fraternity brother of ours.  Donovan was supposed to join us on the trip as a cyclist but ten days before we were to fly out he had a severe cycling accident.  The accident left him in the hospital for over a week with injuries to his tongue, elbow, and hand that he is still recovering from.  We are very hopeful that he will be able to join up with the team sometime this summer.  This past week I dedicated a ride to David Feltner.  David is another Purdue Pi Kapp who is currently fighting his third bout with cancer.  He is an incredible inspiration to everyone who knows him.  He keeps a high spirit and great attitude while fighting this horrible disease for the third time.  David shows a desire to live life to its fullest and motivates others to do the same.  Each day that we dedicate the ride to someone, we always keep them in mind while cycling.  We remember that while there are numerous challenges each day on the bike, these challenges do not compare the hardships that the people we dedicate the ride to are facing on a daily basis.

Jackson Hole, WY

Yesterday we had an nice 80 mile ride to Jackson Hole, WY.  We made it in just over 4 hours with a great tail wind pushing us along.  That afternoon we took the tram up to the top of the Tetons.  We were unable to go to lodging before taking the tram so when we got up to 11,000 feet in just spandex it was really cold.  It was a blast looking over Jackson Hole from the top of the Tetons and a group of us made a snowman at the top.  That night we had some great pizza from a local Italian restaurant and a team meeting to end the night.

We had a 6:30 AM wake-up this morning to make it to our sponsored buffet breakfast and it was worth waking up for.  We then headed over to Mad River Rafting to raft down the snake river.  We were on the river for about an hour and a half and had a great time going though the rapids.  We all jumped out at the calm spots of the river into the 40 degree water which was an easy way to wake up in the morning.  That afternoon we went to the Snow King Resort to enjoy the pool, hot tub, and alpine slide.  You take a ski lift up to the top of the alpine slide and it is like being on a cement luge.  Tonight, we are taking it easy as in the next 5 days of biking we go 535 miles!

West Yellowstone, MT

Yesterday we departed on a 90 mile ride to West Yellowstone.  We had a huge head wind most all of the ride which extended the ride by about 2 hours.  Everyone was very sore from the 109 miles yesterday but managed to push through and make it to lodging.  That evening we went to see "Yellowstone" at the local IMAX theater.  Today we had the day off and went to explore Yellowstone.  We spent about 3 hours in the park and then came back to a wonderful sponsored pizza lunch.  I spent the afternoon doing laundry and packing things up.  We have a 90 mile ride into Jackson tomorrow and another day off where we get to go white water rafting which should be a blast.  We have not been having too many friendship visits due to the lack of organizations that benefit people with disabilities in the towns that we are staying in.  Once we hit Denver we should have about 6 friendship visits each week which the team is really looking forward to.

Bozeman, MT

First media of the trip for me can be found at this link: http://www.shoshonenewspress.com/news/article_f9e39bce-7e12-11df-a4ee-001cc4c03286.html

Today we had our first century ride that ended up being about 109 miles.  I swept today with Jared and the last paceline.  It took about 9 hours to finish the ride.  We had 4 good climbs today and for part of the ride followed the Madison River through its canyons.  We arrived at Eagle Mount of Bozeman around 4 PM.  The organization provides recreational therapy for people with disabilities and children with cancer.  We got to tour the stables and see all the horses that are used in their horseback riding therapy program.  One of the coolest activities that they provide is their skiing program.  They have many different forms of skiing equipment to suit all different kinds of disabilities so anyone can enjoy the fun of skiing.  Just yesterday the organization was on the today show and was awarded the Lend A Hand Today award from Al Roker.  The award consisted of over 1.2 million dollars worth of supplies and equipment, a $100,000 grant to better improve their organization, and doubled their acreage so they can expand.  This is an incredible award for such a great organization and the entire staff was thrilled.  That night we got to enjoy their therapeutic pool which is kept at 90 degrees and called it an early night as we had another 5 AM wakeup to head to Yellowstone.

Butte, MT

Today we had a 60 mile day to Butte, MT.  The weather was cool and cloudy but at least it was not raining!  Today was the first day that we rode in pacelines of 6 instead of 4.  This makes the rides go by much faster with more people to pull the group and more people to talk to.  Due to construction we had to rack the bikes for the last 15 miles.  We arrived at lodging which is the newly build YMCA where we had a relaxing afternoon by the pool.

That night we had a friendship visit and dinner with BSW.  We had a huge ovation upon our arrivals and after introductions we had a great fried chicken dinner.  A live band got set up and the team and clients of BSW tore up the dance floor.  We danced for about an hour and a half and it was a great time.  It's bed time now and tomorrow brings a 5 A.M. wake up and a 105 mile day. Pictures to come tomorrow!

Philipsburg, MT

The team woke up expecting rain and lightening as the weatherman told us, but of course he was wrong. It was 60 and cloudy all day. Today was the first day we rode on the interstate. We rode on I-90 for about 30 miles with a really nice tail wind pushing us along. The last 20 miles of the 80 mile ride were rough. The tail wind we had turned into a head wind and we started climbing uphill. We finally arrived at the tiny town of Philipsburg, MT where we set up shop at the local high school. Overall, the team had a rough day on the road with 17 total flats.

That evening we had dinner with the local Rotary Club. They served us pasties, which are a pastry filled with beef and potatoes and were originally made for the miners. This week I was selected as the "Heavy Hitter" for being the best overall team member/cyclist from the previous week. So far, James and I are 2 of the 5 cyclists who have ridden every mile. I get to wear the Clif Bar cycling hat for the week and get to pick the winner for this week at our next team meeting.

Missoula, MT

Yesterday we had a short 30 mile ride in great weather.  We had the rest of the day on our own and I went to the bike shop to return my tire and get a new one since I’ve had 4 flats in 4 days.  That night we went out for dinner with the team and enjoyed the town.  We had all of Sunday off and had our first day to sleep in.  I went to the local bike shop and cleaned my bike.  We had a sponsored dinner from Jeremy Jones who was last year’s Project Manager for the Trans-America route.  After dinner the team cleaned the vans and relaxed.  We have a long 80 mile day ahead and it looks like it will be raining the whole day again.  I am really looking forward to the next week as we have our day off in Yellowstone National Park.

Thompson Falls, ID

Today we woke up to 35 degree weather and rain. Joel told us we had a 50 mile ride with one big climb which turned into 72 miles and 2 huge climbs. We ended up climbing to 4700 feet both times which was about a 2700 foot climb for both. The climbs were rough but nice because we could warm the body up. The downhills were brutally cold going 30 miles an hour as we were soaking wet. We arrived at the Thompson Falls High School about 7 hours later. We were welcomed by a local reporter who brought her son, Scott, who was disabled. Instead of showering right away, I stuck around and hung-out with Scott and played basketball. It was a great time and in about 200 shots he made 6, but those 6 shots definitely made his day. We had a sponsored dinner at a local restaurant and are now enjoying the internet and cable TV to watch the NBA finals at the high school. Overall, this was the hardest day of the trip and was extremely fulfilling completing the entire ride as only 10 out of the 18 cyclists finished the trek.

Kellogg, ID

Today we had a short 40 mile day on a bike path. The weather was 45 degrees and raining the entire ride. We got in and stayed at the local high school. We had no programming so we all went to dinner and then enjoyed apples to apples for the night. I have an interview tomorrow morning for the local newspaper and hopefully it does not get canceled like the last one.  Overall, a pretty short and relaxing day.

Coeur d’Alene, ID

Today we had an easy ride, or so we thought. The trek was 35 miles mostly along a bike path. Little did we know, there was massive amounts of construction and diversion through the path. It took two and a half hours to complete the ride. Once we arrived in Coeur d’Alene, ID we had five hours to enjoy at the Kroc Center. The Kroc Center is an indoor/outdoor recreation center where we hungout in the pool and activity room. That evening we enjoyed a night on the town with dinner with the team at Red Robin. We are staying at the Kroc center and getting free use of their awesome facilities. Their pool was created for the young ones but we had a blast in the hanging out in there. Tomorrow we have a short 55 mile ride on a bike path to Kellogg, Idaho.

Spokane, WA

Today I swept with Andrew for our 85 mile ride.  It was a gorgeous day and we just rode a flat ride through the wheat fields of Washington.  Andrew is hilarious and we talked about everything on the road.  Once we got in we went to a couples house to eat and swim.  We played an intense game of 3v3 basketball in the pool.  The next morning we had a sponsored breakfast at McDonalds.  We then went and visited the Shriner’s children’s hospital, the Ronald McDonald house and the local children’s hospital.  We then went to REI and Nick and I bought sweet $4 horns for our bikes (classic).  We havesponsored spaghetti dinner at the Ronald McDonald house to end the night.

Grand Coulee City

We had our first late wake up of the trip today at 8 AM. The team voted last night to wake up at 7:30 to make sure we got into Grand Coulee City to see the USA world cup game. We made the 30 mile trek in about an hour and a half in time to watch the game. The whole ride was on highway 2 which follows the Columbia river with incredible views. There was a team activity at the Grand Coulee Dam which produces more energy than any dam in North America. We had a wonderful sponsored dinner and then blew up the air mattresses and headed to bed knowing tomorrow is the first 100 mile ride of the summer!

For the past two days I have been in the lead paceline. This year we are sponsored by OnAsset, which is a GPS tracking company. I have carried the GPS tracker with me each day so that our project manager can track the team on the road. The team can also be tracked online by anyone at www.letsride2010.com and click on the OnAsset tracker.

Coulee City

We had an early wake up to start our ride to Coulee City, WA. It was sunny and 75 degrees the whole ride. We rode 75 miles and arrived at Coulee City Middle School for lodging. The team enjoyed an afternoon of shooting hoops and hanging out. That night we had dinner sponsored by the Cattlewomen's Association. Two women came and cooked one of the best meals I've ever had. After dinner, we all hit the hay for some well deserved and needed sleep.

Steven's Pass

Today was going to be a hard day and we all knew it. We woke up to another rainy day with temperatures in the 50's. I rode with James Loy today who is a fraternity brother and good friend from Purdue. Steven's pass is a 17 mile climb up the cascade mountains which summits at a little over 4000 feet. We started off the climb well until I had two flats in a row and had to change tubes twice. I found that I had a small piece of glass in my tire and had to change my tire because of the puncture. We got to the last 5 miles of the climb in about an hour and a half. The last five miles are steep kickbacks at about a 7% grade. We finished those 5 miles in 45 minutes and reached the summit. We were above some clouds and had an incredible view from the top of the cascades. The rest of the 75 mile ride was downhill. The paceline road at about 30 miles an hour down the mountain right alongside a river full of beautiful rapids. Everyone on the team made it up the mountain which was great. We arrived in Wenatchee, WA about 8 hours after leaving. We heading over to a park by the river to have a friendship visit. There were about double as many clients as team members at the visit which was great. We ate and then played volleyball. It was inspiring to see people gain so much happiness from hitting the ball over the net. The pleasure that they derive from serving the ball over the net really forces one to appreciate the abilities that one has. These sort of situations have really enabled me to focus on the little things in life to find happiness and not over look those situations.

First Day of Riding

The team woke up at 5:30 AM to rainy 50 degree weather in Seattle. The night before we all shaved our legs for the trip. Cyclists shave their legs to avoid infection after getting road rash from a fall. We set off for our first day of biking where it rained for about 50 of the 70 total miles. After 8 hours on the road we arrived in Skykomish, WA (population 250). We stayed at a little church in the city and locals were nice enough to let us use their showers for the night. After we arrived in Skykomish all we could think about was reaching the summit of Steven's Pass over the cascades the next day. After a few drinks with the locals at the watering hole right across the street, it was time to hit the hay and get ready for the climb in the morning.

The Only Disability is Having a Bad Attitude

Last night we had our first friendship visit with the Arc of Cook County. There I met a young man named Eric who has down syndrome. Eric works for the Arc as an advocacy speaker. He goes around the area to speak about down syndrome and is currently working with the state legislature to make more accommodating and fair laws for the disabled. We need to remember that no one should be defined by what they cannot do but rather what they can do. Unfortunately, the majority of society would see Eric on the street and assume that he would not be able to maintain such important tasks because he has down syndrome. Eric is a perfect example of how no one should ever be judged and every individual has a unique quality that can benefit society. All we have to do is invest the time in each other to learn those qualities that we each possess.

First Days

We all arrived in Seattle yesterday and began our four days of training.  Yesterday we had our orientation sponsored by Alpha Delta chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at University of Washington.  They were great hosts and cooked up our first sponsored dinner.  Today we started out with six hours of meetings at the REI headquarters in Seattle.  We then went to our first friendship visit with the Arc of King county.  The visit was at the Gas Works Park with a great view of downtown Seattle.  We had a Q'doba dinner with the clients and had a great time.  Lights out time as tomorrow is our first 5:30 AM wake up.

Training in Seattle

The days in Seattle were packed full of different trainings. The team had a skills assessment which everyone passed with flying colors. After the skills assessment we went for a ferry ride around the waters of Seattle. We then got to walk around downtown Seattle and have dinner there. The next morning we woke up to have our training ride through Seattle. That night we had our kickoff dinner at Buca Di Beppo which was the perfect carb dinner for the next day of riding.

And so it begins....

Sitting at the airport waiting for the next 6 hours to go quickly to get to Seattle to meet the rest of the team.  In the next 4 days we will be having meetings in Seattle to discuss safety and procedures as well as having our first two friendship visits.  We begin cycling on June 9th and it can't come soon enough!  Time to make sure people are defined by what they can do rather than what they can't do.

Regional Team Training

This weekend we took a trip down to Bradford Woods in Martinsville, IN to have regional team training.  Team members from across the mid-west met to discuss cycling safety and go on two rides.  Saturday, we woke up to sub 40 degree weather to start our 50 mile ride through the hills of southern Indiana.  It was a great ride and I maxed out at 42 mph on a downhill.  Sunday we woke up and practiced crossing railroads and riding through traffic lights.  Here are some pictures of the training weekend.  Overall it was a great weekend and the Journey of Hope cannot come soon enough!