7 Days, 700 Miles, 1 Adoption- Rider Tells All!

A few years ago, KiKi and I were in college together. She always inspired me with her faith, her bubbly personality and her dedication to whatever it was she was doing at the time.  This time, she has blown my mind! As she says in the interview below, we all know someone who has involvement with adoption - so we should have some idea of how difficult it can be, right?  I admit I didn't have the full perspective until I began to follow www.RideForAdoption.com, a group of cyclists who rode 7 Days, 100 Miles a Day, for 1 Adoption.  KiKi isn't the one adopting but she rode like she was.  I don't know the adopting parents, but I hope to one day because when you surround yourself with people who inspire you, the sky is your limit, too!  Here is KiKi's story.

 

In just a few sentences, explain what you did:

I rode my bike from Centennial Park in Nashville, TN to Daytona Beach, FL, 700 miles in
7 days, to raise money for a family’s adoption of a child from Nicaragua.  We got up every morning and rode approximately 100 miles a day as we traveled through Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. 

What made you want to get involved?

Kaleb and Meagan, the family adopting, contacted me about 5 months ago with the idea of RideForAdoption and I immediately said yes.  The couple currently lives in Florida but were good friends of ours when they lived in Murray, KY.  Kaleb was the youth music leader at Hardin Baptist Church and Meagan ran track at Murray State.  I have always wanted to a long distance ride, so I didn’t think twice when the opportunity arose to do one for such an amazing cause and with great friends.

How will one adoption be made possible because of your ride?

Because international adoption is so expensive, it is hard for the average family to come up with the means to make it happen, regardless of how willing they are.  After committing to the ride we began to seek pledges and donations.  People could either pledge per mile or give a single donation.  With the generous support from so many people the RideForAdoption raised over $15,000, enabling Kaleb and Meagan to make their last 2 adoption payments and get closer to bringing home their baby!

What did you do to prepare to ride 100 miles a day for 7 straight days?

Rode my bike all the time! Ha! If I wasn’t at work I was on my bike.  A normal training day consisted of a 3-4 hour morning ride and then another couple hours in the afternoon. And lots of eating and hydrating! :)

What was your personal biggest accomplishment this trip?

Besides finishing, enduring a 20 minute ice bath every night.  And I thought 700 miles was going to be the hard part. Ha!

What was your biggest challenge?

The toughest part for me wasn’t physical but mental.  By day 6, I was getting tired of riding.  I started to feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.  My body and legs still felt good but mentally I was starting to wear.  I just kept focusing on the end result, not 700 miles but that I was helping bring a child home to their family.

Was there ONE part of the trip that just made you say “WOW”?

YES! It is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life. It was the beginning of day 2 and about 3 miles in we had our first mountain to climb.  Being a Tennessee girl now, I know how to climb. I don’t remember exactly how many miles or how long it took, but it seemed like forever.  The road twisted and curved so you could not see the top.  You would think you were close to the end when you turned a corner only to see the road still going up.  Finally, I reached the top.  The road began to slope down and the trees opened up to the most gorgeous view I have ever scene.  The sky was clear and you could see mountains in the distance.  Words really can’t do it justice. Before I knew it tears were streaming down my face, my hands lifted in the air, and Chris Tomlin’s “Amazing God” coming out of my mouth.

Did you listen to an iPod and what was the best go-get-‘em jam?

I usually listened to my iPod the last 20 or so miles when my mind was beginning to get bored.  And usually it was praise and worship music with a little old school rap mixed in! ha

Will you do it again?

During the ride we were already planning next years event, so yes! To get more people involved we are considering a 3-4 day event and maybe ride from one end of Florida to the other.

How can more people help?

You can check out www.rideforadoption.com for more info.  But basically everyone knows a family who is adopting or someone has been affected by adoption.  Get involved in the personal adoption stories of people you know and see how you can help.  Adoption is one of the best examples of love that I can think of.  Although all of us may not be called to adopt, we can always help those who are.

Anything else you’d like to add?

We could not have done it without Meagan.  She was amazing.  She drove a van behind us the entire time to keep us safe.  The van also had all of our gear and spare equipment and food and water.  At the end of the day she took our dinner orders and did laundry.  She was our coach, cheerleader, trainer, photographer, chef, and mom all in one!