Kevin's Journey of Hope

Day off in Lexington

2009-08-04T13:33:00.004-07:00

August 3rd

We got to sleep in again! We went to a rally at noon in downtown Lexington. The rally was called stay out late and was put together to advocate for accessible bus services to run later at night. Right now in Lexington they accessible busses stop at 8 PM therefore if someone in a wheelchair wanted to go out at night or had a night job they would not be able to take pubic transportation home. I thought it was really neat because the organizer said that the majority of time people with disabilities rarely get to advocate for themselves. The rally was primarily people with disabilities at a park downtown talking to state officers about the situation and what they would like to see changed.

After the rally we went to Latitude for lunch, Latitude is an art studio for people with disabilities. The studio provides people with disabilities the opportunity to do whatever they wanted artistically. They have had art from the studio displayed in New York and Paris. It was amazing to see some of the work and to see how creative everyone at the studio was. After lunch we had the afternoon off and a few of us went to Buffalo Wild Wings because we have been craving some good wings all trip.

We had an amazing sponsored dinner at the Tin Roof. The sponsor was a huge IU fan so I made sure to rub in how well Purdue basketball was doing compared to IU’s program. It was a relaxed meal and the first time that we went to a restaurant and got to order whatever we wanted!!!! The place had live music that night which a bunch of us came back for.

Lexington, KY

2009-08-04T13:33:00.003-07:00

August 2nd

The 95 miles today went really quick and was pretty painless. Our pace line was in no rush so we just took our time and had some good conversations. We had a crew chief lunch, which has been very odd recently with all of the amazing sponsored lunches that we have had. Our lodging today was at a church right off of KU’s campus. I took advantage of the afternoon for a nap. We had a great friendship visit for dinner and dance. I met a woman named Mary who was in a wheelchair and non-communicative. She still wanted to dance, so we went to the front and just swung our arms back and forth. It was amazing to see how happy she was about the smallest things. I had a great time hanging out with her for the majority of the friendship visit. I found it really neat that we where able to still communicate with each other even though she could not talk. It definitely took extra work and additional yes and no questions but I could tell that she was so happy that someone was spending time getting to know her.

Cincinnati, OH

2009-08-04T13:33:00.001-07:00

August 1st

I can’t believe that it is already August! It seems like just yesterday that we were in Seattle preparing for the trip. Today’s ride was nice and short, only 35 miles. We were honored to have Trevor do a crew-ride-along today. Although he had not been on a bike for years he was able to crank out the miles without too much pain. He did collapse at lunch when he rode in because his legs hurt so badly. The team had a good laugh watching him fall over as he rolled in!

We arrived at lodging provided by the Cincinnati Recreation Association. After the quick ride we had the afternoon off. Many guys took advantage of the onsite pool while other just relaxed and napped. We had an amazing friendship visit with the adaptive recreation division. We had the opportunity to play wheelchair football with many of the local athletes. They did not take it easy on us. It is full contact and a couple guys got knocked out of the wheelchairs. We had pizza with the team afterwards and got to hear about how they adapt the rules of many sports in order to play them in wheelchairs.

We got sponsored tickets to the Reds game tonight. The game was awesome and we had perfect weather for baseball. Unfortunately, the Reds lost to the Rockies but the game was still fun. We have a long ride tomorrow so it is time to blow up the air mattress and head to bed.

Oxford, OH

2009-08-04T13:32:00.003-07:00

July 31st

It seems like we are crossing states lines left and right as we move east. The ride was set on paper for 80 miles but we turned it into 100. JT did a crew ride-along today with my pace line. He hadn’t ridden a bike for more than 30 miles before so we told him we would take our time and just crank out the 80 miles. Although there was a decent amount of complaining from him he rolled into the Pi Kapp house after a total of 90 miles on the road. Since he was so close and so many guys on the team had doubted him, we rode down to the football stadium and went around the parking lot until he reached 100. It was pretty inspirational to the team to see a guy who hadn’t been on a bike for years finish 100 miles. That night we had an amazing T-bone steak dinner provided by the Pi Kapps at Miami of Ohio. The guys were in the process of changing houses and they still took a good amount of time out of their day to cook and hang out with us. We had a team meeting and went over safety on the road as well as our recent experiences at friendship visits.

Day off in Indy

2009-08-04T13:32:00.001-07:00

July 30th

We got to sleep in today which was a nice change of pace. We had one of the most organized friendship visits in the afternoon with the Noble of Indiana. They had lunch waiting for us when we arrived and then we were split into teams for different activities. My mom, grandma, and Tracey came to the visit to interact as well. I played bicycle bingo for the majority of the time but finished the visit with some karaoke. We had the afternoon off so I headed home for a much needed nap. We went to the Kelly’s home for dinner. Mrs. Kelly cooked the most amazing taco dinner for the team. It was one of the few dinners that we have had where there was left over food! We met up with our cycling coach, Dean Peterson, downtown. We hadn’t seen him since Washington so it was good to see him again. He is by far the best cyclist I have ever met and he has been so helpful to the team.

Indianapolis, IN

2009-08-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

July 29th

Today was a quick 60 mile ride into Indy. The first 10 miles were gorgeous and then we hit highway 37. The first 5 miles of the road were by far the worst road conditions of the trip. Franscis managed to get 2 flats at the same time because there was so much debris. Our paceline yelled “every man for themselves” and gave the person in front of them 10 yards so that each of us could look for our own path through the minefield. We had our first crew ride-along. We give the opportunity for a crew member to cycle for a day to give them the experience of riding with the team. Drayton cranked out the 60 miles with us today without too much trouble.

We had a 10 mile police escort into IUPUI. I want to thank everyone who came out to support the team at the arrival. The support from my chapter brothers was amazing. A couple chapter brothers, our chapter advisor, and an alumnus joined the team for lunch at Beauzbaux. We had the afternoon off and I spent the day at home with the family. We had an amazing dinner at the Stinnette’s house sponsored by his parents and my parents. After dinner we met up with a ton of chapter brothers in Broad Ripple for a couple drinks.

Bloomington, IN

2009-08-04T13:30:00.004-07:00

July 28th

Today was a very hilly and scenic ride into Bloomington. I crossed the 3000-mile marker today on the trip. Looking back at the trip, I can’t believe that it has already been 3000 miles!!!! Time flies! We arrived at Stone Belt, an organization that serves the developmentally disabled. My parents, grandma, and Tracey greeted me at the arrival. It was awesome to see my family after a long two months. There were over 100 clients outside and the second that the first bike was in sight they started cheering. It was one of my favorite arrivals because of their excitement and enthusiasm. We had lunch with the clients and then played tons of games.

After the friendship visit we went to the Pi Kapp house at Indiana University. We were greeted by Dr. Summers, a 50 year alumni and past national president. He showed us around the house and treated us to an amazing steak dinner. That night we hung out with the guys from the chapter and then called it a night.

Terra Hautte, IN

2009-08-04T13:30:00.003-07:00

July 27th

Back home again in Indiana! Today’s ride amazing… almost completely flat! The ride was about 60 miles and we knocked it out very quickly. I rode with Dick and Deb, the two sponsors from last night. They were a ton of fun to ride with and took us a different route to cross over an old covered bridge. We arrived at IUPUI and were greeted by a ton of ISU Pi Kapps. The president of the university greeted us and I was interviewed on the channel 2 news. We had lunch in their cafeteria and then went to the ISU Pi Kapp’s chapter advisor’s house. The house was the old Lambda Chi house and they remodeled it into their home. For dinner that night we had one of my favorite friendship visits of the summer. We met with Happiness Bag for dancing and karaoke. The clients were so happy to see us and I could tell that we made their day.

Effingham. IL

2009-08-04T13:30:00.001-07:00

July 26th

We crossed the Mississippi River today, which has been on of my favorite parts of the trip so far. We crossed over the old Route 66, which has since been converted into a pedestrian bridge. The rest of the day was flat and the mileage totaled 116. We had Panera Bread for lunch on the road which was my favorite lunch so far. We stated at the local Arc and went to the CEO’s home for dinner. They were great sponsors and let us use their home as if it was our own. We watched a bit of the last stage of the Tour de France which they taped for us. I was exhausted from the ride so the air mattress felt great!

Day off in St. Louis

2009-08-04T13:29:00.002-07:00

July 25th

A 10 AM wakeup!!!! That is the latest wake up we have had all summer! We went to the local Arc for lunch and got to play a ton of games with the clients. I played connect 4, bocce ball, and table hockey with the clients. After the visit a ton of us went to the zoo. It was a huge zoo and completely free and open to the public. We went to Whitey’s parents house for a pool party and dinner. I had three full servings of food. It seems like I can honestly eat anything I want and just keep eating! We have our 2^nd longest ride of the trip tomorrow so I called it an early night.

St. Louis, MO

2009-08-04T13:29:00.001-07:00

July 24th

We had a nice short 65-mile ride into St. Louis. The county police escorted us for 19 miles to the city limits and then the city police took over and brought us to a huge park where we had lunch. I got to see Tracey today for the first time in 2 months so that was pretty exciting! We had lunch and then arrived right in front of the Arc in Kaiser Plaza. Right before stage up I checked my tires and one was completely flat. I had to change the tire quick only to find that the other tube had a hole. So I had to change 2 tubes in less than 10 minutes just to be able to ride in. At the arrival we had 2 proclamations presented to us. The city declared July 24^th 2009 Push America day in St. Louis! We had an amazing dinner at a local alumnus’ house and they treated us like kings. We had more homemade food than we could handle!

Union, MO

2009-08-04T13:28:00.002-07:00

July 23rd

Today was one of the most difficult rides of the trip so far. We rode 105 miles and throughout the day had about 4800 feet of climbing. The climbing was some of the steepest slopes we have seen all trip. I was in the saddle for over 6 hours and over 8 hours on the road. I hit a max speed of 48 mph today and was over 45 mph at least 10 times during the ride. We had dinner at a local restaurant and then Drayton’s family sponsored us to go to Diary Queen for desert. I called it an early night because I was dead tired after the ride today.

Columbia, MO

2009-08-04T13:28:00.001-07:00

July 22nd

Today I swept with Bobby at the back of the pack. It was a very long and hilly day! Who knew that Missouri was not flat? In the middle of the ride we had to walk our bikes across a newly paved bridge, and by newly paved I mean that the steam-roller was working right next to us as we rode over it! We got in pretty early from the ride and had time to shower and nap. We went to a Pi Alphas for dinner and got to hear about his experiences on the team and how things have changed over time.

Bike Trouble

2009-08-04T13:27:00.001-07:00

July 21st

Today was tough day on the bike for me. At mile 18 my chain snapped and luckily didn’t get caught in my rear wheel on its way off my bike. I could have totaled my bike if it would have got caught! I had to rack for 30 miles to re-rivet my chain together and get it on the bike. I biked a total of 62 out of the 92 miles for the day and it was the first time I was off the bike for a mechanical problem. Once I got back on the bike, it was on-and-off rain for the rest of the day. I scouted the route for the next day when I got in and then went to the bike shop to get my chain fixed. That night, a couple local sponsored had done a full hog roast for us and we had some of the best pulled pork that I have ever had in my life!

Day off in Olathe

2009-08-04T13:25:00.001-07:00

July 20th

We had a jam-packed day of programming on our day off in Olathe. We started with a made-to-order omelet breakfast followed by a tour of the Deaf Cultural Center. I learned a couple really neat things about deaf history. First of all, the first football huddle was started at the Kansas School for the Deaf when opposing teams would hire interpreters to steal the signs of the other teams. Also, baseball signs originated on the Yankees when they had a pitcher who was mute and deaf and the manager required his entire team to learn simple sign language. We had the amazing opportunity to visit Tim’s house. Tim was in a diving accident, which left him as a quadriplegic. We had the chance to see his home and the technology that he has that has increased the quality of his life significantly. Without the ability to move anything below his neck, he is able to surf the web, write emails, completely control his movements in his chair using his mouth, and control all electronics in his home. It was very amazing and inspirational to meet him and see how positive he was about his life! We had a friendship visit with a local pre-school that serves people with disabilities. I worked in a classroom for autistic children under 5 years old. It was the youngest group we have worked with so far on the trip and it was really interesting to see the work they do with the children even before grade school begins. That night we got to go to the Royals game. We were supposed to get on field recognition and have great seats but unfortunately the game was completely rained out.

Olathe, KS

2009-08-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

July 19th

Another hilly ride through the center of Kansas ended in Olathe which is a suburb of Kansas City. We were surprised with Chipotle for lunch which was amazing! We had a police escort into the Heritage Center with a warm welcome from the city and the Counsel for People with Disabilities. We explored the living museum which is the only current full running stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe Trail. Olathe is a top 10 ranked community for people with disabilities to live. The mayor of Olathe declared July 19^th, 2009 as Push America Day! The community has really hooked us up for our stay here! We are staying at the Kansas School for the Deaf and all of us get our own beds! They treated us to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and I got one of the juiciest steaks I have had in a long time. It was an amazing dinner! They have a huge day planned for us tomorrow on our day off so I called it an early night and made sure to catch up on some sleep.

Topeka, KS

2009-07-20T04:35:00.001-07:00

July 18th

We had a great ride today of 65 miles. The ride reminded me a lot of my rides at Purdue. There were a few rolling hills and a ton of corn which is very similar to the areas that we would ride by the Wabash River. We have been extremely fortunate for our weather so far in the trip. Usually this time of the year the highs in Kansas are in the 100’s but today the high was in the low 80’s. We had a great arrival into TARC which is a center that serves people with disabilies. They were holding a community carnival for us which consisted of a band, carnival games, and a ton of food. We stayed there all afternoon and had a BBQ with the staff for dinner. We had room donated by the Ramada for the night! I called it an early night and attempted to catch up on some sleep.

Emporia, KS

2009-07-20T04:34:00.002-07:00

July 17th

I had one of my best days on the bike today! It was long 106 mile ride through continuous rolling hills. The common conception that Kansas is flat is by no means true. We had a great pace-line today which made the time go by really fast. I also had some trouble with my bike computer so I never knew how fast we were going or how much time we had left, I just kept peddling until I was told to stop. We stopped at mile 80 for a great sit-down lunch in Cottonwood Falls. It was touch sitting down and eating a full meal and still having to bike 25 miles but we knocked it out in just over an hour. We stayed at the community center tonight and each of us got a professional massage! It was amazing! The Kiwanis Club sponsored a great pot-luck feast which definitely filled us up.
I did a full overall cleaning of the bike today. It takes about an hour to get everything cleaned and put back together. I took the chain off and soaked it in a solution to remove all of the grease. Then I cleaned all of the gears, breaks, and wheels. Not only that I changed the rear tire which was still the stock tire. It had about 3500 miles on it which is pushing the limits. After putting everything back together I finished by applying a light lubricant to the chain and rode around the block a couple of times to make sure everything was aligned. It feels like you are riding a brand new bike after you clean it and lubricant and it definitely adds years to the life of the bike!

Wichita, KS Day Off

2009-07-20T04:34:00.001-07:00

July 16th

We had a day off in Wichita today which was amazing after 8 straight days of cycling. We had an amazing sponsored breakfast with any breakfast food you could think of, hot and cold! We went straight from breakfast to our friendship visit with Rainbow United. They offer a summer camp for kids with disabilities during the day. We were privileged to hear their camp choir sing for us and we got to get on stage with them and sing a song together. I had the opportunity to hang out with a little girl named Elizabeth. It was her birthday and she was turning 9. Elizabeth had muscular dystrophy and was confined to a walker. It was amazing how much she could do even though she didn’t have the strength in her legs compared to many of her classmates. She swam in the Special Olympics and ran the 100 meter dash. She was one of the most positive kids I have ever met even though she had to overcome so many challenges every single day that many of us take for granted. Since it was her birthday, we had all of the guys surround her on one knee and sing Happy Birthday to her. She loved it! We had some time off and I took a much needed nap. For dinner we met with the board of directors for an organization that helps people with all disabilities live independently. I called it an early night, 100+ miles tomorrow.

Wichita, KS

2009-07-20T04:33:00.002-07:00

July 15th

Today was the first day that my pace-line didn’t meet rack point. Rack points are assigned during the day to make sure that we can make our scheduled events on time. We biked 75 of the 82 miles today. It was kind of frustrating having to rack but it is a good reminder of what the trip is really about. It isn’t about the bike; it is about the countless people that we impact across the country. The ride was very difficult because we had a constant 15 mph head wind during the entire day. I had a pretty funny fall today as well! When we roll into a crew stop we are supposed to roll a couple feet off the road so that if you tip over you will be away from the road. Well of course I follow all directions and I rolled off the road a couple feet and to my surprise it was right into some mud. Conveniently, my tire stopped immediately and I didn’t have time to clip out. It was a nice slow motion tip to the right and I felt like it took about 30 seconds to hit the ground. It was really funny!
We had lunch today with Arrowhead United at the Home Town Buffet. After eating with the clients we went to the YMCA to play some adaptive games with them! We had corn hole, washers, bowling, and basketball to play with the clients. Dinner was sponsored at the Alley which is very similar to the Dave and Busters. We had a ton of pizza and then went bowling. It was a nice change of pace for all of the guys to hang out as a team!

Pratt, KS

2009-07-20T04:33:00.001-07:00

July 14th

Pratt, KS was our home for the day after a long 77 mile ride. For the first half of the day we had pretty strong wind that was hitting us on the left shoulder. About half was through the ride we took a turn and the tough head wind turned into a very generous tail wind which made the second half of the ride fly by! From what we have been hearing “If you don’t like the weather in Kansas then just wait a few minutes because it will change.” We had another friendship visit with Arrowhead West for lunch. We got to play pool, air hockey, and do karaoke with the clients. We were sponsored by the Archers Association for dinner which was a complete steak dinner! We each had our own steak with every single side dish you could think of. We also got the chance to try out some of the bows on their range and their moving targets. It was bright and sunny and within minutes a huge thunder storm rolled in. I guess the advise was correct about the weather changing!

Dodge City, KS

2009-07-20T04:31:00.000-07:00

July 13^th

Dodge City, KS

50 miles seems like nothing now that we have been on the bike for over a month. It was a very quick and easy ride today into Dodge City. We had our first of three visits with Arrowhead West, an organization that serves people of all ages with developmental disabilities. A fellow teammate, Trevor, and I hung out all afternoon with a client named Kelvin. He was amazing to talk to and was so happy that we were there to spend time with him. We ended up splitting the cost of a Journey of Hope t-shirt for him and he had a grin from ear-to-ear. We stayed at the Community College which had an air conditioned gym! I would take air conditioning over a real bed any day of the trip! We visited the Boot Hill living museum for dinner. Dodge City was the center for the cattle industry in 1900’s and the museum was created to preserve what the city was like at that time. We had an amazing home cooked meal followed by a show that explained how life was in Dodge City. It was very interesting to learn about the industry and see how much the cattle industry has evolved over the years. I cleaned the bike up a bit and then went to bed.

Garden City, KS

2009-07-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

July 12, 2009

Today marks so many milestones for the 2009 Journey of Hope team! Not only did we ride into a new state and a new time zone, but we have hit the 2,000 mile mark!

Today's route was about 105 miles into Garden City, KS. We are now allowed to ride 6 men in a paceline instead of 4, which allows us to go faster. We averaged over 23 mph on the bike today and we finished before lunch.

We rolled into a local pool where media was waiting for us. After the normal activities, we had time to relax at the pool. The team headed to lodging at a local Comfort Inn, which was really nice! This evening we enjoyed dinner at Golden Corral Buffet and went to see a movie to finish the night off. It was another great day on Journey of Hope!

Lamar, CO

2009-07-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

July 11, 2009

As far as riding went, today was an easy route. The trek was only 60 miles including some hills and little elevation change. We completed the ride in just over three hours. This was the last day in Colorado! I hope to be back to visit sometime soon!

The crew members decided to bring a whole new element to our daily challenges. I must first tell you that the temperature today was 110 degrees! Despite this ridiculous heat, we enjoyed the challenges that the crew members gave us. Several pacelines tried to finish two liters and gallons of milk that were left over from the friendship visit. We finished a two liter of soda and some milk which made for an interesting 20 mile ride into town. Our stomachs were feeling it by the time we reached Lamar!

We enjoyed some free time this afternoon at the swimming pool. Dinner tonight was provided by a local family who prepared a wonderful meal. This marks the half-way point of the Journey. I can't believe how fast it is going!

La Junta, CO

2009-07-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

July 10, 2009

Today we decided to wake up at 5 am instead of our scheduled wake up of 6 am. We enjoyed Pueblo breakfast burritos provided by a Pi Alpha from Colorado State University. The ride was great as we averaged over 21 mph and finished 63 miles before 10 am. This was one of our fastest days on the trip so far! Once arriving into La Junta, we had plenty of free time to enjoy afternoon naps, play volleyball, and take time to relax. Tonights dinner was provided by the Lion's Club who were very welcoming and excited to have us. The Lion's Club does great things to help people with visual impairments. Tonight we went to a local bowling alley to celebrate Andrew's 21st b-day. We also enjoyed a cake provided by our project manager. The team vote this evening was to push wakeup back to 6 am tomorrow since we only have a 60 mile ride to Lamar, CO! Yay!

Pueblo, CO

2009-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

July 9, 2009

Today we left from Denver and headed to Pueblo, CO which was a nice, easy ride. The first 20 miles a hand cyclist joined the team and rode with us. He was incredible.Once arriving in Pueblo, we enjoyed some delicious food at the saloon. I was very lucky on today's ride. I had a flat on the road while going 25mph down a hill. I hit a rock and it punctured my tire in less than a second. My front tire was immediately down and my handlebars dropped a decent amount. A front tire blowout can be very dangerous and I am thankful that I was able to keep control. This type of flat tire is very rare, but I was able to fix it and get back on the road.

I spent the afternoon cleaning my bike and chain. This evening we went to dinner at a local pizza place with the Arc of Pueblo. We enjoyed visiting with the individuals. Tonight we had another sign language group meeting and learned the entire alphabet. I can now tell someone my name in sign language. Before heading to bed, we ventured into town to get some ice cream.

Colorado Springs, CO

2009-07-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

June 8, 2009

Today's ride from Denver to Colorado Springs was one of the hardest rides the team has experienced. It was extremely hot! The ride was approximately 91 miles and we had a rack point of 73 miles by noon. There was a 2000 ft. climb and a strong head wind on today's route as well. We made it to our police escort by 12:30 pm. The police escort was very neat today as they escorted us for 8 miles taking us to our final destination of the Olympic Traninig Center.

When we met up with the police escort, we were also joined by Alison, a four-time Olympian who competes in skiing and cycling paralympics. Alison's leg was amputated above her knee and she has a special bike that allows her to clip her leg into a fixed clip on the bike frame. She pedals with one leg, and let me tell you she could definately keep up with us!

The Olympic Training Center was a great experience and a special part of the trip. We enjoyed a buffett lunch at their facility cafeteria followed by an interesting tour of the building. The team had the privilage of meeting Lopez Lumar, a USA track & field Olympian who carried the flag at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Lopez was one of the last "Lost Boys" of Sudan who was split from his family at a young age during the war. When he was living in Sudan, he would run for miles and miles as a coping mechanism to keep his mind off of being hungry. As Lopez was starving, he was training his body for distance running and endurance. Lopez then won an essay contest which sent him to America as the prize. He gained his US Citizenship in 2007. Lopez was voted on by all of the US Olympic athletes to carry the flag in the 2008 Beijing games. He competes in the 1500m run. We also had the opportunity to meet the triathlon athlete who was ranked #1 in the world in 2006.

After our visit to the training center, we headed over to the University of Colorado and arrived at our lodging which was an old building converted into a dorm. The dean of the University sponsored our dinner and I enjoyed meeting him. Today was a long day and we are all ready to hit the sack!

Day off in Denver, CO

2009-07-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

July 7, 2009

Today we enjoyed a day out of the saddle in Denver, CO. This morning we enjoyed a delicious warm breakfast provided by the Thacker family! It was amazing! Lunch was provided by a Pi Alpha who made wonderful handmade hamburgers, by far the best of the trip. I enjoyed some free time in the city today to relax. I decided to buy the Tour de France guide today so I could start reading about how the race works; it seems very interesting and I am excited to learn more about it. For dinner, we enjoyed a friendship visit playing softball with a special Olympics team. It was really neat.

After returning to our lodging, I was one of the two cyclists who was instructed to go and scout the route for tomorrow. I will take time to explain this task in my blog today...

Each evening, two cyclists and a crew member load into a van to drive the first 15 to 20 miles of the next days ride. This will allow us to check up on road conditions and make sure that the turns are marked correctly as well as decide where the crew stops should be. During circle up the following morning, we report what we found on our scout. This allows us to be ready for the beginning of the ride in the morning. After circle up, our project manager leaves in his vehicle to drive ahead and scout the rest of the route. He can then report this information back to the crew members who provide us with details at our crew stops.

Denver, CO

2009-07-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

July 6, 2009

Today was a quick 30 mile ride from Boulder, CO to Denver, CO. We started early this morning so that we could make it to Invesco field, the home field of the Denver Broncos, by 8:30 am. Upon arrival, we had time to relax while we waited for the North Journey of Hope team to arrive. They were riding from Empire and had a 50 mile trek, so they didn't get in until 10 am. At Invesco field, we took a tour of the facility, played catch and pass on the field, and enjoyed seeing the scoreboards lit up with "Welcome Journey of Hope." We enjoyed a sponsored lunch of Chipotle by several Pi Alphas as we visited with the North team. The burritos tasted amazing, but it made for a tough ride into the city.

Our next destination was the capital building in downtown Denver. Our team, along with the North team, was escorted by police on motorcycles through the city. It was a really neat sight to see as over 50 cyclists breezed into the city with police escorts never having to stop at a single stop light. Today was one of my favorite arrivals so far. The city of Denver really made us feel welcome! At the capital building, we were greeted by media and special guests. The governor declared it "Push America Day" in the state of Colorado! We also had the opportunity to meet fellow Pi Kappa Phi member, Bruce Rogers. Bruce is the man who made this all possible and started the Journey of Hope when he rode by himself in 1987.

The afternoon was filled with free time and the chance to relax and enjoy our hotel. At 5 pm we went to a very unique friendship visit called "Peddle for Pennies." Individuals with disabilities were riding their bikes around a lake with us to raise money for the Special Olympics. David and I had the opportunity to ride with a developmentally disabled young lady named Lori. Lori was a hand cyclist who was able to ride 4 laps with us. This was a record for her as she has never been able to do more than 3 laps around the lake. It was a great experience and a really special moment for us.

After a great dinner with the athletes, we hosted a party for them and enjoyed singing and dancing for the rest of the night!

Catching Up

2009-07-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

July 5th
We had a day off in Boulder today! I got to catch up on some much needed sleep! The team enjoyed brunch at the Original Pancake House which makes 5 egg omlets! After brunch, we drove to the top of the Flat Iron Mountains for a beautiful view of the entire valley. We had a great friendship visit where we played softball, volleyball, and basketball with the clients. I met an enthusiastic young man named Matt who has played special olympic basketball for the past 10 years. We played a friendly game of 2-on-2 basketball. Unfortunately, Matt and James beat Joe and I. If you have ever played basketball with me though, you are probably not surprised I lost! Overall, it was a nice relaxing day in Boulder!

July 4th
Happy Birthday America! Today also marks the beginning of the Tour de France which the team is following. The actual format of the race is very interesting and I am trying to learn more about each stage throughout the summer. We had a short ride today of 50 miles into Boulder. I rode with a Pi Alpha, a member who has completed the Journey of Hope in the past. Lunch was provided to us at the chapter house at the University of Colorado at Boulder. We had the afternoon off to explore the town, and then headed back to the chapter house for dinner. We went on the roof of the chapter house for the most amazing view of the fireworks being shot from Folson Field. On our way to lodging, David and I stopped at a place called "Spud Brothers." It was the most amazing thing ever. They took hand-cut french fries and literally put anything you can think of on them! It was a wonderful snack before bed!

July 3rd
Today's ride was a nice break! It was practically all downhill for 65 miles. I was a sweep today with James (meaning that we were the last two riders and our job was to make sure no one made it behind the two of us). We rode into Fort Collins and the Pi Kappa Phi house at Colorado University. In the afternoon we had an adaptive friendship visit where we played adaptive games with the clients. Fort Collins is a really nice city with a great center town area. They are also the home of the New Belguim Brewery (Fat Tire).

July 2nd
My legs were very sore from yesterdays 126 mile ride! Today's ride was about 75 miles and very hilly into Cheyenne. We had an amazing lunch sponsored by the Cattlewoman's society. The lunch was at the longest opperating Herferd Cattle farm in the country. It was really neat to walk around and see how cattle are raised. We had an Arc friendship visit and had the opportunity to play volleyball with some of the clients.

Wheatland, WY

2009-07-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2009

Today marked the longest day of the entire Journey...126 miles! That's right...the team cycled 126 miles today! What an accomplishment! Surprisingly, I feel excellent!

We woke up this morning at 5 am and after completing our morning rituals, we were ready to tackle the long trek ahead of us. We left our lodging at about 6 am and started the ride into the hills. However, within the first 10 miles of the trip, we missed a turn and lost about 3 miles. Once we realized that we were heading the wrong way, we were able to regroup and get back on track.

My paceline averaged about 19 mph today on the bike, which is fast compared to what we normally ride. The ride was all up and down as we adventured through hills and quickly learned that this century ride would not grace us with any flat land. We stopped for a crew lunch at about 60 miles, our halfway point for the day. The team was racked for 3 miles of the ride in the afternoon due to a gravel road that we couldn't attempt to ride over. But don't worry, we still managed to ride 126 miles today because we rode 3 extra miles this morning when we missed our turn. We arrived at our lodging site at 5 pm this evening and we enjoyed another dinner prepared by the Cattlewomen's Association. It was amazing and great to fill up our stomachs after a long trip! I am heading to bed early tonight to give my body a rest and prepare for another 100 mile ride tomorrow.

Day Off in Casper, WY

2009-07-02T21:52:00.000-07:00

June 30, 2009

Today we had the day off in Casper, WY and it was amazing with a 10:15 am wake up! This was the latest wake up we will have the entire journey! The team enjoyed lunch at the Boys and Girls Club in Casper where we performed the "Kids on the Block" puppet show. I was the character "Brenda" in the puppet routine. "Brenda" is a girl who talks to her friend "Ronaldo" who is blind. The puppet show teaches children how to interact with peers who have disabilities. We strive to highlight the individuals abilities instead of disabilities. After performing the puppet show, we took a bike ride with the kids through the park. We taught them about bicycle safety.

This afternoon I went and got my hair cut at a local barber shop that only had one chair. The shop was a cowboy theme and the barber was decked out in cowboy gear from a cowboy hat to cowboy boots!

For dinner we met with the Arc of Casper County for another friendship visit. We interacted with adults and children who had disabilities. We enjoyed playing kickball, wiffle ball, and taking pictures.

Tonight, a group of us started to learn sign language. We decided to buy a sign language book a couple of days ago and we are working on learning the basic signs so that we can communicate with the individuals at our friendship visits who are deaf. I am looking forward to learning this unique communication as the trip progresses.

Casper, WY

2009-07-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

June 29, 2009

Today's ride was 102 miles from Shoshoni to Casper, WY. Thankfully, we didn't experience the cold temperatures like we have been so the ride turned out to be decent. The scenery was extremely boring and repetitive today. We didn't see a tree until 20 miles in to the ride. Some of the locals we met called our cycling today the "longest 100 miles in America." There was one exciting portion of the ride today...we rode past the Texas 4k group that is cycling from Austin, TX to Alaska for cancer research. They are associated with the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It was great to meet fellow cyclists working toward advocating a great cause similar to our journey.

We arrived into Casper earlier than we had planned, so we were able to take naps before starting our nightly activities. After cleaning up for dinner, we enjoyed a great meal provided by the Kiwanis club. We are taking advantage of getting to stay up late since we have a day off tomorrow and a late wake up call!

Shoshoni, WY

2009-07-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

June 28, 2009

The journey from Dubois to Shoshoni was approximately 102 miles long today. It was a slightly boring ride due to the fact that there was not much to see in the part of Wyoming we were cycling in. However, the day began quickly with some assistance from a strong tail wind through our descent helping us average 21 mph instead of the typical 16-18 mph pace. My paceline finished the ride quickly because we were lucky enough to avoid flats. Our 3-man paceline rode ahead of everyone for the entire ride since many cyclists were delayed fixing their flat tires. Along the ride, we passed through a town with a Taco Bell and joked about stopping for a bite to eat. We were the first group to roll up to the crew stop at mile 90 and we were greeted with a nice surprise. A crew member had bought burritos for me, James, and Max. We enjoyed our 1/2 pound burrito treat at the crew stop, but as we hit the road we started to ask ourselves why we ate those before we finished riding. The last 10 miles of the journey was rough as we tried to survive with heavy stomachs from the treat. We decided not to tell the rest of the team about the burritos for a few days.

Our lodging is at a Senior Citizen Center in the small town of Shoshoni, WY. There are less than 900 people living here. We enjoyed the afternoon napping, taking a trip to the local malt shop, and relaxing on our air mattresses. Our dinner this evening was sponsored by the cooks at the Shoshoni senior center. We spent the night playing pool, practicing "Kids on the Block" puppet show, and writing in our journals before "lights out."

Tomorrow will be another "century" ride as we travel from the mountains through the desert into the city of Casper, WY. Then we will have a day off in Casper to let our bodies recover and enjoy two friendship visits. So far we have ridden in four states: Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

Dubois, WY

2009-07-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

June 27, 2009

Back to normal today with a 5 am wake up call, breakfast, and circle up to start the day off. It was an extremely foggy morning at 6 am as we hit the road in about 40 degree temperatures. At the initial point in our journey, we could see no more than 200 feet in front of us. We had a 30 mile uphill ride departing Jackson followed by a 20 mile, 3,000 vertical ft. climb. Today's scheduled route was going to take us to the highest point and hardest climb of the entire trip. Unfortunately, at the halfway point of our climb (about 8,7oo ft) we were racked due to construction ahead. The project manager had assessed the remainder of the climb and he broke the news to us at our crew chief roadside lunch stop. After our project manager saw how disappointed the team was, he decided to let us ride the last half mile of the climb to hit the peak elevation of over 9,600 feet. I was very dissapointed that I couldn't ride the entire climb today, but I know that it was due to unexpected road conditions.

The rest of the ride was refreshing with a fabulous decent on freshly paved roads and a tail wind to assist us. We finished the last 25 miles in less than an hour as we continue to make great timing and enjoy afternoon downhill cycling! Over the entire day's ride, we crossed the Continental Divide three times. I felt great on the bike today since I was able to recover on the day off in Jackson.

We rode into the town of Dubois which rests at about 7,000 feet and contains a population of approximately 962 people. Tonight's dinner was provided by the Cattle Women's Association. We spent time visiting and eating great food. The team is heading to bed early tonight so we can be well rested for the next two days consisting of 100 or more mile rides and friendship visits.
Please bear with me as I may get slightly behind on my blog posts with the busy schedule ahead. I will be sure to catch you all up by the end of the week. Thanks again for supporting me and following my Journey of Hope blog!

Day Off in Jackson, WY

2009-07-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

June 26, 2009

Today we had a much needed rest from the saddle. The team started the morning with a great breakfast before our adventures of white water rafting. The river was ice cold so we bundled up in wet suits to protect ourselves from the freezing splashes. The white water rafting adventure was a blast! Riding the rapids was a thrill and it was a nice activity for the morning free-time.

After lunch, we had another fun adventure planned! The team went alpine sledding on concrete. The thrill of riding sleds down a concrete luge was unreal! Six of the team members turned into dare devils and took the sledding a bit too far. They fell off of their sleds and they are suffering from some cuts and scrapes. We also got to jump on a bungee cord trampoline. I had a great time turning triple back flips in the air.

This evening we enjoyed exploring town, eating pizza, and going to bed early for a good nights rest.

The Ultimate Man Day in Jackson, WY

2009-06-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

June 25, 2009

Today was my favorite day of the trip so far! Unfortunately, we were racked for the first 31 miles of the day due to Yellowstone Park regulations and construction. We hit the road right at the beginning of the Teton Mountains and spent the entire day riding along the base of the range. We had a police escort into Jackson, WY and were privileged to ride in with Brendan, a special Olympic skier. We ended our amazing ride in the town square and were greeted by many special Olympians, which was set up by Jill Quinlan.

After our arrival, we were racked to Twin Creeks Ranch for the night. The amazing lodging and meals were provided by Eta Gamma Pi Alphas Peter Cushman, Kevin Graff, Jay Holley, and Eron Ashley. The range was a man’s paradise also known as "mantastic". We had a huge lunch when we got there and then had the opportunity to shoot skeet, hit golf balls, horseback ride, fly fish, swim, or relax in the hot tub. We grilled out for dinner and then spent the rest of the night hanging out around a camp fire. It was the second night in a row that we got to sleep in real beds too! What a treat!

Many of us received mail and gift packages today as well and I would like to thank everyone on behalf of the team for the constant support we are receiving from our family and friends!

West Thumb, WY

2009-06-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

June 24, 2008
So I just realized that I have failed to give you all a glimpse of what a typical morning is like for the Trans Am Journey of Hope team. I am going to take this opportunity to give you an idea of what we do each morning before rolling out on our bikes. A 5 am wake up call has become second nature and any chance we have to sleep in until 6 am is a big treat! It’s hard to imagine that I would complain about waking up at 8 am everyday at college. After we wake up, the team has approximately ½ hour to get dressed, load our bags into the car, and get our bikes outside and prepped for the ride. Following the prep period, we have 15 minute to eat our breakfast which traditionally consists of ½ banana, ½ bagel, and a bowl of cereal. At this point the team has been up for 45 minutes and we head outside for “circle up.” This portion of the morning is led by the project manager. The team stands in a circle to discuss daily road conditions, weather conditions, the distance of that day’s route, and the expected elevation. He also takes time to brief us on the sponsors for the daily activities, meals, and lodging. We are informed on what to expect of the friendship visit as well. The project manager gives us a brief overview of what the next two days of the journey will be like. Each team member takes turns presenting a “disability of the day.” This is the time during “circle up” where one member will present something to the group on a disability that they were assigned to research the night before. (Last week, I informed the team about Muscular Dystrophy) If any team member leaves something in the van or at lodging, they must dance in the middle of the circle to receive it back from the project manager. We then discuss if we would like to dedicate our ride that day to anyone. I particularly enjoy this part of the morning because it helps us remember that we are doing this for a purpose and not just to cycle. The June 20 ride was dedicated to David Feltner, a fellow Omega Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi brother who is finishing chemo treatments with his second battle of cancer. Today’s ride was dedicated to Tracey’s (my girlfriend) grandma, Bonnie Ross, who played a role in starting special education classes at Tipton School Corporation in Indiana. Her oldest daughter is mentally retarded and she feels very passionate about the mission of Push America. At the conclusion of “circle up” we say a prayer and roll out on our bikes.

Today’s ride was outstanding! It was another cold morning with the trek beginning at about 33 degrees. We crossed into Yellowstone National Park within the first mile of the ride. Five miles into the ride, we were greeted by a huge herd of buffalo! We crossed into Wyoming and the sun started to rise and warm things up slightly. After the first couple of hours, we were able to shed off our extra gear of leg warmers, jackets, and ear covers. The journey took us across the Continental Divide two times and we rode up 8,400 feet at our highest point. After a 56 mile ride, we arrived at our lodging. The team is staying at a hotel tonight inside the park. That’s right….we get beds tonight! We spent the afternoon exploring the park, enjoying the hot springs, and making a trip to see Old Faithful. This evening we enjoyed a buffet spaghetti dinner, it was some much needed carbs to reboot! I had the pleasure of spending the remaining of the night with my Uncle Greg, Aunt Kas, and Cousin Nick. It was so great to see familiar faces after being on the road for more than two weeks. They are vacationing out West and stopped through the park to visit and meet up with me. I would love to spend more time in Yellowstone National Park, but unfortunately we will be riding to another city tomorrow. I hope to come back someday and visit.

Today was a milestone as I looked at my odometer at the completion of the route and it read 1,002 miles. We have ridden more than 1,000 miles of our 4,440-mile journey! All in all, today was very enjoyable spending time with the buffalos, taking pictures of geysers, and being joined by my family. Good Night!

West Yellowstone, MT

2009-06-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

June 23, 2008
Today marks the fourteenth day of cycling. We started the morning with a 5 am wake up, followed by breakfast, and then off on our bikes for a 90-mile ride. The initial 70 miles of today’s ride was an uphill climb reaching 3,000 feet. After stopping for yet another delicious crew lunch, the remainder of the ride was fairly easy. The pace line experienced a strong head wind, but we managed to finish well before the rest of the team. My pace line arrived into West Yellowstone City at about 2:30 pm and we relaxed and chilled out as we waited for the rest of the group. Today’s ride was very scenic as we rode slightly into Yellowstone National Park. I am looking forward to the days ahead as we plan to venture further into the park.

This afternoon we set up at our lodging location, the local high school, and then showered before adventuring into the city for dinner. Our free night was spent enjoying dinner at a local pizza shop and doing the weekly cleaning of the team vans.

Bozeman, MT

2009-06-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

June 22, 2009

After waking up at 5am this morning and enjoying a hearty breakfast, the team hit the road for a long day of cycling. Today was our first real "century" ride. The journey this morning started with a temperature of only 45 degrees, lots of rain, and plenty of clouds. Myself and Shane, one of my teammates from Truman State, were the last two cyclists to start the ride today. We were the "sweeps" for today's ride, which means we rode behind the rest of the cyclists and made sure no one was left behind. Shane and I followed up the pack in a two-man paceline decked out in our lovely orange vests that read "Cyclists Ahead." Due to the weather, I also wore my leg warmers, jacket, and footies to try and stay warm.

The first climb was a 3 mile ride to the top of the mountain. Once we reached about 2,000 feet up, it was only 34 degrees outside. This made it very challenging to keep our muscles warm and in shape to ride. However, today is the best I have felt on the bike the entire trip. My legs were doing well for a majority of the ride and I am pleased with how I feel tonight. After we reached the top of the mountain, we were able to ride downhill for sometime at about 40 mph. We were surrounded by snow capped mountains in every direction and the scenery was truly breathtaking.

Our next climb was a bit of a challenge. We rode into the hardest head wind I have ever experienced. This was very difficult for Shane and I because we were in a 2-person paceline instead of the normal 4-person paceline. We finally made it to lunch and stopped for a quick sandwhich and to visit with the crew. After lunch, the ride continued through a valley, so the wind wasn't as fierce. Early in the ride, I received another flat tire on my rear wheel again. I quickly changed the tube and made it about another 50 miles into the ride before I got yet another flat tire. I tried to ride this one out and tonight I ended up changing the entire tire. Today's journey was 107 miles of beautiful scenery through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. This was by the far the neatest ride we have experienced the entire trip. The weather conditions made it challenging though as we experienced rain and freezing temperatures.

Tonight we ate dinner and had a friendship visit with Eagle Mount, an organization that teaches people with disabilities to ski, ride horses, and hand cycle. This organization has a great cause and it was interesting to interact with the individuals. At the end of the visit we had the opportunity to try the hand cycling bike. Let me tell you, it is a lot harder than it looks. Well I am off to bed now because we have another long ride tomorrow.

**I posted more pictures below in some of my old posts.....check them out!**

Butte, MT

2009-06-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

June 21, 2009

We woke up early this morning to rain and very cold weather. After a breakfast prepared by our amazing crew, we left the lodging at 6am for our 65 mile ride. Before the team hit the road, we made a quick stop at the local candy store. The owner of the store opened it early for us so we could stop in for a visit before we left town. He was very excited to have the JOH team visiting and he provided us with plenty of free samples. The candy shop produces 500 lbs. of candy per day and they don't distribute any of it, it all stays in their store. As you can imagine, the shop was a true sight to see. I think that it put Willy Wonka's candy factory to shame. My personal favorite was his famous chocolate fudge. It was amazing. The early morning sugar gave us a boost of energy for the long day ahead.

We started today's ride with rain and extremely cold weather. Luckily, as we climbed, the weather let up slightly. We were challengedwith a 2,000 feet climb. It was a difficult ride, but well worth it. Once we reached the top of the mountain, there was a beautiful waterfall and wonderful scenery as we looked down into the valley. I encountered my first flat tire today, but I was able to use the supplies that I had with me to fix the tire and get back on the road. For some reason, I was extra sore on the bike today, so I am thankful that we arrived into Butte, MT before noon. Our lodging is being provided by the local YMCA, so we spent much of the afternoon relaxing in their pool.

This evening we had a friendship visit with BSW, an organization that assists disabled people in learning how to live independently. After our dinner, I spent some of my time cleaning my bike and giving it a quick tune-up. Some of the team took a trip to Wal-Mart to get some things we need before we head off to the next city.

Missoula, Montana

2009-06-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

June 18, 2009

Today we woke up at 5 am and we were on the road by 6:15 am. It was a very busy morning for the team. We had to ride 85 miles before noon or we would get racked to make it on time to our scheduled lunch with Adventure Cycling at 1 pm. We cycled on the interestate today, which was challenging. Montana is one of three states in the country that allows cyclists on their interstates. There was a significant amount of construction on our route, so we had to pay careful attention to the road. It was a real rush when semi-trucks would drive past our bikes going 70 mph.

After an intense morning, we made it to our team meeting area by noon and organized into two pacelines to ride into the city. It was great meeting the people from Adventure Cycling. Adventure Cycling organizes cycling routes for individuals across the country and around the world. Their hospitality was wonderful and at the end of the visit they gave our team stickers that said "I Ride Therefore, I Transam." We all placed the stickers on our bikes.

After meeting with Adventure Cycling, we departed for Hellgate Highschool, our lodging site. Tonight we had a very special friendship visit. We visited a home with eight residents. They could not talk much, so we communicated with yes and no questions. This was a challenging visit, but it was really rewarding. The caretaker told us that the residents look forward to the JOH team stopping each year and it is like Christmas to them. The residents loved having people visit. We ate wonderful pork ribs for dinner. After dinner we visited a local ice cream shop and headed back to the school to relax. Tomorrow is a day off!

June 19, 2009

Waking up at 9:30 am was amazing this morning! The team has enjoyed some time to relax today. I did laundry this morning and then made some phone calls to catch up with friends and family. This afternoon we visited a local pizza parlor and then checked out some other local hang-outs. We went to see the new movie "Hangover." Tonight we had dinner provided by a Pi Alpha (a Pi Kappa Phi member who has completed the Journey of Hope). We ate dinner and played volleyball at a local park before heading back to the school for the night. Tomorrow we are off to visit Philipsburg, MT.

Great trail ride and the toughest day so far

2009-06-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

June 16th

We had a great day on the 16th! We had a late start in the morning as we helped the camp that we were staying at unload their next food order. We were originally scheduled to ride 45 miles but our project manager had scouted a better route but it was 85 miles. We rode on a beautiful bike path and met a ton of people who had seen us on the Spokane news the day before. On the trail I saw a bald eagle and 4 moose (I don't know the correct plural of moose). The picture below is the first one that we saw. We ended in Kellogg, ID for our last night in the state and we went out for some really good pizza.

We stayed at the local high school and I got some more use out of the air mattress.

June 17th

Today was the toughest day by far. We had to climb two mountain passes before lunch. I would honestly say it was the hardest physical thing that I have ever done. Everyone got up both passes and hit some pretty good speeds on the way down. The ride today was supposed to be a total of 105 miles but we all got racked about 20 miles out because of lightning. We drove into our lodging at Quinn's hot springs which is amazing. We get to sleep in beds, have real showers, and TV. Also, they have a pool that they pump water from the hot springs below into. It felt really good after the ride today. We are all really tired and hitting bed early tonight because we have a 100+ mile ride tomorrow that we have to get done by noon...

The picture below is at the top of

the second pass... by far the hardest climb we have had so far.

Catching Up!

2009-06-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

I want to apologize to all my faithful blog followers for not posting something the last couple of days. It has been very busy and we have limited internet connections. Read ahead and I will fill you in on what has been going on since I last posted an update...

June 12, 2009

Today we were able to sleep in until 6:30 am! We had a short 70 mile ride into Coulee City, WA. The ride was less extreme than yesterday's adventure through Steven's Pass. Today we encountered a 7-mile climb and a 3-mile climb at 7% grades.

Today's scenery started as deserts and canyons and by the end of the journey we were riding through arid, rolling hills. I enjoy the time we spend cyclying because it is great to bond with my fellow teammates. We use the hours on the bike to play games, talk, and learn about each other. We arrived in the small town of Coulee City this afternoon, there is a population of only 200 people. The team will be staying at the local high school. We enjoyed the afternoon off by spending our time relaxing and swimming in a nearby lake. Dinner was amazing tonight! I devoured the beef sandwiches and baked beans provided by the Cattlewomen's Association. The ladies were very entertaining and it was a pleasure to visit with them. It was very humurous at dinner because the local newspaper sent a photographer to take pictures of our team. The photographer was also the reporter and owner of the newspaper. This town is so small that it only takes one individual to run the enitre paper! This evening the team enjoyed a trip to the local icecream parlor, that was also a gas station, liquor store, bait shop, and restaurant. That is what you call "one stop convenience!"

June 13, 2009

Today marked our first "century" ride, which is 100 miles. However, we actually ended up riding only 97 miles. The team woke up early and rode a quick 5 1/2 hours to Spokane, WA. We made really good timing and arrived 1 1/2 hours earlier than we had planned. Today's cycling included rolling hills and plenty of wheat fields. Once again, my paceline enjoyed playing games while cycling. We were police escorted into Spokane. The team enjoyed dinner at Theta Iota chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at Washington State. It was comical when we were eating dinner outside and they forgot to tell us that the lawn sprinklers turned on at 7:30pm every evening. This made for a very interesting meal. We had the evening off and we spent time bonding as a team.

June 14, 2009

Today was our first day off so we slept in until 9:30 a.m. This was some much needed rest! We took part in an amazing frienship visit! Our team attended the Family Fun Day for individuals with Muscular Dystrophy. There was a carnival and lots of fun activities for the kids and families. A young boy named Thomas spray painted my hair orange, pink, and white. This was a sight to see! I played a game against my teammate Robby where we had to dig for three cherries that were burried in pudding without using our hands. Once we found the cherries, we had to get three marshmallows from a bowl of cheerios. In the end, our faces were covered and the kids loved it. I won the competition and left the visit with colored hair and food stuck all over me. We performed the "Kids on the Block" puppet show as well and this was very successful. The team enjoyed the night off. We caught up on some laundry, ate a great chicken dinner, and played four-square for the rest of the evening. It was very relaxing!

Below is a picture of Robby and I during our game at the MD family fun day.

June 15, 2009

And now I finally have you all caught up to today. We were only supposed to ride 35 miles, but this turned into 55 miles because of some very confusing bike trails. We crossed into a new state today! We arrived a little late at Camp Sweyolakan in Cour d' Alene, ID. The team was greeted by a patoon boat. We loaded our bodies, bags, and bikes onto the boad to cross the lake to get to camp. As we arrived, we were greeted by the traditional camp song. (it is tradition to be sung in and out of this camp) After lunch, we had the rest of the afternoon to explore camp. The team played at the lake on the water trampoline and the blob. There are no kids at camp yet, just counselors. Tonight will be very interesting. We are sleeping in a structure that is eight walls and four of them are completely open and exposed to the wilderness. I am pretty sure that a tent would provide more coverage than this hut. It should be an interesting night, so be sure to read tomorrow's blog to see how I survived my night in the wild........

Steven's Pass

2009-06-11T21:10:00.001-07:00

Today was tough. We started the 70 mile ride with a 4,000 foot climb over the Cascade Mountains through Steven's Pass. I practically sat for 2 hours going 6-7 miles an hour for 17 miles up a 7% grade. We don't have anything like that in Indiana. At the top (4061 feet) it was about 30 degrees with snow on the top of the road. I think it is the first time ever where I have felt like I have been in a tropical rainforest (west of the Cascades), in the snow (at the top), and in an arid valley (east of the Cascades) in a single day. Today's ride boasted by far some of the most beautiful senery that I have ever seen. We followed the Columbia River down the entire desent. The best part of the day was the downhill. Reaching a 40 mph max, we coasted for the last 50 miles of the ride.

Tonight we had a great friendship visit with about 60 members of the community. We had a great grill out and played softball and soccer with them. I met some very neat people and a couple special olympic medalists. Overall it was a very rewarding day. I climbed my bike over my first mountain and had the chance to interact with some great people at the friendship visit. About time to hit the air mattress... another good climb tomorrow.

This picture gives you an idea of the grade that we had to go up for 2 hours today... and yes... that is snow on the left side of the picture.

I survived the first day!

2009-06-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

We have officially started the 2009 Journey of Hope! We woke up at 5:30 am this morning to depart for the kick-off breakfast. After months and months of training, I was anxious to get on my bike and start the trip! A few families and friends of my fellow teammates joined in to see the team off on our journey. We left Seattle at 8 am and rode 75 miles to Skykomish, WA. We were on the rode for approximately 8 hours; however, we were only cycling for about four hours or so. We spent time eating lunch and stopping at crew stops. The ride was amazing! It was so beautiful. I felt pretty good on the ride today. I struggled a bit going up a large hill after lunch because I was not stretched out enough for the intense climb.

We arrived in the small town of Skykomish this afternoon. When I say small, I mean about a population of 250 people! It is a beautiful place. The town sits in a valley between mountains. Our lodging is being provided by the local high school. It's not quite a hotel, but after the long ride anything will be nice, even my sleeping bag on the gym floor! Tonight is a community get together at the high school, so we are going to hang out with the townies and play some sand volleyball.

I am off to shower now and get ready to head to dinner at Buca di Beppo. This is the second night we have had the privilege of eating big pasta dinners and the carbs really come in handy for our long rides.

So I must share one last thing with you before I sign off for the night: Last night, I joined the rest of the team, and I shaved my legs. I know you are probably thinking that I am crazy, but it is highly recommended for cyclists. If a cyclist falls, they receive road rash. It is very painful to get road rash and have hair on your legs. Therefore, I took one for the team, lost a bit of my manhood, and now I have smooth legs.

On today's blog, I have posted a picture of my team. They are a great bunch of guys. I will try to post more pictures on my blog as the journey continues. The second picture is of myself and David Stinnette, my fraternity brother, training partner, and Journey of Hope teammate. It is nice to have a friend on the cross-country trek.

Friendship Visit and Practice Ride

2009-06-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is a good picture of me and Paul, the very fun and enthusiastic 8 year old that I got the pleasure of meeting at our last friendship visit.

Today was our our practice ride! We had great weather, about 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. We hear from the locals that we should not expect that much longer. We had a great 25 mile ride around a beautiful lake with many hills and a lot of construction to practice around. I was the one of the two "sweeps" for the ride today meaning that we were the last 2 cyclists to make sure that no one got behind us. After our trip we had the opportunity to ride in a velodrome (a cycling track). Our cycling coach took us on the track and taught us how to ride on it. It was a ton of fun to be on the track and you can really get going after a couple laps. We get a great dinner tonight from Bucca De Beppo to get us ready for our kickoff and 75 mile ride tomorrow.

Policies and Procedures

2009-06-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

June 7, 2009

Today we woke up at 7 am, which is actually sleeping in compared to the rest of the summer. We headed to REI, a large sporting goods store similar to a Dick's Sporting Goods. REI donated conference rooms for us to hold our meetings in. We met about team goals, Push America advocacy and marketing, safety management plans, and policies and procedures. There are tons of policies and procedures for our trip! They will keep us very uniformed and professional throughout the journey.

This evening we met with the Arc of King County for our first official friendship visit and dinner. It was really special to visit with individuals with disabilities. I spent the entire evening playing with a young boy named "Paul." Paul was attached to my side throughout the event and was sad when I had to leave. We played games and ran around together. Tonight was really special for me and I enjoyed experiencing the true meaning behind the "Journey of Hope." I am looking forward to our other frienship visits along the trip.

We returned to our hotel and learned the "Kids on the Block" puppet show that we will be performing in different cities. This puppet show was designed to teach children how to interact with other children who have disabilities. It was a great bonding experience for our team.

Two more days until I am off on my bike! Good night!

Arrival in Seattle

2009-06-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

June 6, 2009

Today has been an exciting, but very long day. I left Indianapolis at 7am this morning for my first official day of "Journey of Hope." I was greeted at the Seattle airport by some of the crew members. We grabbed lunch and then headed to our hotel. I was eager to unpack my bike and make sure that it survived the long plane ride. I spent my free time this afternoon putting it together and then relaxed a bit.

We received our cycling jerseys today. They are navy blue and white with the words abilities, teamwork, empathy, and integrity on the front. The Pi Kappa Phi star shield is also on the chest of the jersey. After receiving my uniform, everything is starting to become more of a reality...in a few days, we will begin a cross-country journey! I am anxious to get on my bike and start riding.

Based on what I have seen so far, Seattle is a really neat city! Our hotel is right across from the needle. It has been fun meeting the 20 other cyclists and 6 crew members that will be on the TransAmerica route this summer. I can already tell that this will be a great adventure and I am looking forward to spending more time with these guys.

This evening we visited the University of Washington Alpha Delta Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. After dinner, we visited with the chapter members before heading back to our hotel. I am really tired from traveling today, but I get to sleep in until 7am tomorrow. (Compared to the rest of the journey, 7am is now considered sleeping in!)

Thanks for following my blog. I will keep you all posted on the progress of my trip!

Last Day at Home

2009-06-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day at home.... I don't know if this whole thing has sunk in yet. I fly out tomorrow morning at 7 am from Indianapolis to Seattle. From there we will have 4 days of training before we hit the road on June 10th.

Thinking about what I am about to begin blows my mind. We (and I say we because it does include me) need to remember what the trip is about. Sure it is a cycling trip across the country but the real point is to raise awareness for people with disabilities. So if you ever find yourself talking about the trip please remember what Push America's mission is: To build leaders of tomorrow by serving people with disabilities today.

I can't tell you how excited I am to begin this journey. Thank you again to EVERYONE who has helped me to get to this point! Seattle... Here I come!

Push America Video

2009-05-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

This video gives you an idea of what Journey of Hope is all about!!!!

Less than two weeks!!

2009-05-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

It is now less than two weeks before I leave for Journey of Hope. I can't tell you how excited I am!!! I will be flying to Seattle, WA on June 6th and will leave for the trek on the 10th. For all of the family and friends, I will be in Indianapolis on July 29th and 30th. I will post more information on where we will ride in and where we will have visits later in the summer.

I would like to personally thank everyone that has helped me to this point so far. My sponsors have helped me raise $7921.50 to date for people with disabilities!!! I can not thank my sponsors enough! Their generosity is unbelievable!

I would also like to thank David Stinnette, my fraternity brother, training partner, and fellow Journey of Hope team member. David and I have pushed each other over the past year to train countless hours for the trip. Our ability to work together on training has really helped the two of us to get in shape for the physical demand of the trip.

Thank you again for all of the support and I can't tell you how excited I am to start the journey. I will be updating the blog as often as possible with journal entries and pictures so please follow along!

Kevin

Journey of Hope Description

2008-11-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

In the summer of 2009, I will participate in a life changing event called the Journey of Hope. The Journey of Hope is a cross country cycling trek founded, funded, and carried out by Pi Kappa Phi’s philanthropy, Push America. In 1987, one man cycled across the United States to raise awareness for Push’s mission. His journey has expanded into three different cross continental routes with roughly 80 cyclists each year. The Journey of Hope touches the lives of millions of people throughout the country every year. I have been blessed and honored to be given the opportunity to participate in the 2009 Journey of Hope. I will be spending 9 weeks in the summer of 2009 cycling over 4000 miles from the west coast of the United States to our nation’s capital, Washington D.C.

The cycling is only one aspect of the event. Our most important goal is to spread awareness and raise funds for people with disabilities. Although we will be cycling for the majority of the day, we will have the opportunity to meet and interact with people with disabilities daily in events called “friendship visits”. This is what makes the Journey of Hope an amazing event. We are constantly reminded of who we are serving. We will have the opportunity to impact the lives of so many people across the country, and they will undoubtedly impact our lives as well.

The Journey of Hope raises over $500,000 every year for Push America. I have a minimum requirement to raise $5,000, but I have made it my goal to raise $7,500 for Push America. The support that I receive for this amazing event will be much appreciated. All donations will go to Push America and will help serve people with disabilities through grants and building projects.

There are two ways to donate to my journey:

1) Send a check made out to "Push America" to my school address (below) with "Kevin Vargo's JOH" in the memo line.

2) Click Here or on the link in the upper right hand corner of this page that states "Click Here to Sponsor Kevin". This will allow you to make an online donation.

All donations are tax deductible and will benefit people with disabilities. I appreciate any and all donations to help give me the opportunity to participate in this amazing event. Please feel free to contact me (e-mail or cell) if would like any more information on the Journey of Hope and our cause, or would like to give your support. Thank you for taking time to read more about the Journey of Hope and Push America. I appreciate all of your support!

Sincerely,

Kevin Vargo

330 North Grant St.

West Lafayette, IN 47906

kvargo@purdue.edu

(317) 694.5573

Building leaders of tomorrow by serving people with disabilities today