An 11-person group with A2MIA, INC., a non-profit organization, traveled through Folkston on a journey to create awareness and fundraise for mental health, specially City of Refuge and Lotus House. The group began in Atlanta, Georgia and finished the 777 mile trip in Miami, Florida.
Founder Crista Cue, a.k.a Veronica Vega, explained that the organization first came about in 2016 when she already had plans to travel between the two states and decided to bike the distance instead of drive. She found that the ride provides people with a unique insight on life and a potential for discoveries not typically made on a usual day-to-day basis.
Cue explained that she wanted to provide others with the life-changing experience she had on her first journey.
She said, “The gift that I was given with my first journey, I wanted to give it to other people and their journey. So, that was the question: ‘How do you continue to give this to other people so that they realize once you commit to something, and follow through, the blessings will rain on you?’”
This year, the group included people country-wide and beyond. The members were Zahra Alabanza, Michael Henderson, Daniel Elizalde, Nolvia Barahona, Gia Vega (Crista’s younger sister), Willie Floyd, Almando Cresso, Ashley Cresso, Ashley Soares, Nadine Lamanna and Kelly Wolf.
The participants all shared their testimonies and how the bike ride translated to their own individual struggles, goals and endeavors.
Willie explained that his reasons for participating was to challenge himself with something outside of his comfort zone, along with spend time and understand himself. One goal was to show everyone from his hometown that you can achieve anything you put your mind to, especially with faith, belief, hard work and determination.
For Kelly, this year’s route planner, testified that is was humbling to witness the riders meet people throughout the state and making “life-time friends.”
Zahra explains that she was invited on the journey due to her experience leading bike tours.
She spoke on the transcendence quality of a long bike journey and how “when all you have to do is pedal and breathe, you realize how insignificant some other things are in life.”
Throughout the 17-day cycling trip, the members rode, sweated and cried together. For some, the trip was a personal challenge to test their strength and endurance while for others, it was a journey to find clarity and truth within the world. Each cycler had his own story and goal and will hopefully find what they pedalled 777 miles for.
“I always think that long-distance biking reminds us that humanity is a really great thing because when people see others doing an extraordinary thing despite all the differences that may exist, they open their arms, their heart and homes,” Zahra said.
Learn more about A2MIA from their website, https://www.officiala2mia.com/. The site includes ways to donate, testimonials and details on their Atlanta to Miami trip.
