Biking is a passion of mine, and it's also one of the main ways that people who are homeless get around. My goal in biking and serving in shelters will be to illustrate and capture the conditions that hundreds of thousands of homeless people experience daily. I want to tell their stories and show people that almost anyone could find themselves on the streets. Often, the people who are homeless I encounter are some of the friendliest, most positive people I meet. Their ability to maintain positive attitudes despite their circumstances, leaving them with little reason to be, is inspiring! The idea to bike from Sacramento to San Diego, California, was inspired by one of my college friends who rollerbladed across the country to raise money for No Kid Hungry. At the time, I had no idea how he could do it, let alone think I could plan a trip like that myself. One thing I did know is that I was envious of his purpose and his freedom. He found a way to help many people by doing something he loved. His trip covered 3571 total miles with 80 days of blading (129 days total). He raised $32,582 for No Kid Hungry. Here is an article he wrote in the Huffington Post about his experience.
I am planning my trip for Summer 2025. My goal is to work hard to build up the brand by telling the stories of the people experiencing homelessness in my community and those near me. I am planning some overnight regional bike trips to other shelters in preparation for the state-long trip. My goal will be to focus exclusively on helping the homeless at the trip's end. My goal is to enable my family to take part in the journey. My brother was an International Film major at Loyola Chicago, and the trip represents an opportunity to create thought-provoking and action-inspiring content. My mother has been battling Kidney Cancer since 2006, although you would never know it by observing her. Her energy and compassion for others have been an inspiration my whole life. Her example is something I aspire to live up to every day. The philosophy that inspired my transformation and made me think I could pull off a trip like this is called Ikigai. Ikigai gave me a sense of clarity, purpose, and direction. Ikigai is a Japanese Philosophy that involves seeking out the intersection of what you love, what you are great at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for. I included a diagram below for the visual learners in the mix.
