I can’t believe it’s finally here!!! There wasn’t a day on this trip that I didn’t think about August 16th and what it would be like to ride into our nation's capital. I can’t ever think of a day where I woke up and was so giddy. The sense of accomplishment reigned over the day. We set off on a 40-mile ride into the city. When we got there, we arrived at George Washington University and met up with the North and South Routes. After chilling for an hour or so…it was our time.
We were scheduled to arrive at the Capitol at 11:00 so all 3 teams lined up at 10:45. My good friend, Ryan Dixon and I were voted on by our teammates to lead the team to the Capitol. It just so happened that our team also got to lead all teams, which meant that Ryan and I were the first two riders of all 84. It was such an honor and made the arrival that much better. As we left GWU in a double pace line with a police escort, the cheers and hollers started to ring out. As we got closer and closer to the Capitol, the excitement started to build. We turned the corner and headed down the street in front of the capitol lined with 400 proud friends, families, girlfriends and on lookers all cheering for us. I threw my arm up in the air in triumph and couldn’t bring myself to put it down. I felt like Andy Dufresne in the mo
vie Shawshank Redemption when he’s in the rain and holds his arms up in the air. After 67 days, 13 states, 4,000 miles, the joy I was experiencing was like no other I had experienced. To see the look on the people’s faces as we rode by them was incredible. You could see how happy they were to see us and how proud they were of us. When we got to the end of the street with the smiles and tears still on our faces, we got off of our bikes to gather on the west lawn of the capitol for a short presentation. The CEO of Push America, Chad Coltrane, spoke to the crowd as well as the project managers of each team. After some team pictures, it was off to hug our family and friends. I found my parents immediately and gave them huge hugs. Mom wouldn’t let go as the tears started to roll. My wonderful girlfriend Melissa was also there and I gav
e her a huge hug after not seeing her for the whole 2 months. Some friends and fraternity brothers of mine who live in the D.C. area also came out to see me. I couldn’t believe it was over and I was finally standing on the Capitol lawn. I made sure to get all the pictures possible, as I didn’t want this memory to ever go away. After hoisting my bike over my head to symbolize my triumphant victory crossing the United States, we snapped some more pictures and made our way to our hotel. I said goodbye to mom & dad who had to catch a flight back to Fort Worth for my cousin Sarah’s wedding that night. Melissa and I went back to the hotel where I took apart my bike an
d packed it up. We checked into our rooms and headed to lunch with my friend Ryan and his family. We enjoyed a nice sit down meal on an outside patio during a beautiful sunny day in D.C. After the meal we headed back to the hotel for some relaxation before the banquet that night. Around 6:30 we headed to the banquet in our hotel where I found out that I would be giving the invocation for the evening. It came as quite a surprise but I was more than glad to do it. I also noticed that there was an insert in the evening’s program that featured a picture and biography of me for being the top fundraiser. It was a great evening and a perfect cap to a wonderful summer. I was recognized as the top fundraiser with an ending total of $16,210 and received a framed jersey. It was truly an honor and I was humbled by the whole night. The biggest highlight is when my good friend Ryan won the Bruce Rodgers award as the best team member on our team. He is such a good guy and it was well deserved. After the banquet, we had one last team meeting before going out and celebrating with family, friends, and the 2 other teams. What a day and what a summer!!!!I end this blog with heartfelt thanks to the many supporters who made my trip possible and enjoyable. For those who supported my ride with donations and prayers, who visited along the route and who supplied support in Washington. Thankyou and God Bless!!!
“Success is not a place at which one arrives, but rather the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey.” –Alex Noble
e and really funny to see who got what and why they got it. After the exchange, I met up with an old friend from camp; Bryce Humphrey. I hadn’t seen or talked to Bryce in 3 years so it was good to catch up with him and talk about life. After spending time with Bryce, I met up with the rest of the team for some fellowship.
ed by the O’Brians. After breakfast, the O’Brians performed a song they had written about the Journey of Hope. It really meant a lot considering Mr. O’Brian was not supportive of his son Jamie participating in the event in the beginning. After reading all the journals and looking at all the pictures, Mr. O’Brian had become so much of a supporter that he was writing songs about us. It was really cool! After the awesome performance, we hit the road energized. It was a 45-mile day and it seemed like it flew by. We pulled into Manassas around 2:00 and settled into our lodging at an Aquatic Center. We packed up some of our bags so they couldn’t be taken to our hotel in D.C. We left for a team dinner at Red Robin around 5:00. It was a good last event for us all to be together and enjoy each others company. After that we headed back to our lodging to pack up and have one last team event together before heading to bed. I can’t believe we arrive in D.C. tomorrow!!!
