Journey of Hope Letters: Mike Keough

Hello All,

I just wanted to write to give you an update on my cross country ride so far. We left from Seattle what felt like months ago and have been on the road 26 days having pedaled through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and now Colorado. We are staying in a hotel (!) for two nights here in Denver – a welcome change from gym floors. I am enjoying cycling much more than I thought I would, which is a plus, considering how much we do of it. Just last week we rode 128 miles Casper, WY to Wheatland, WY in one day! My injuries have been mild and include a pair of chronically stiff knees, and some sun blisters which I I got crossing the Wyoming desert – did you know Wyoming had a desert? I didn’t. We have seen some amazing sights – Yellowstone at dawn (and at 32 degrees) and the Tetons have been my favorites.

We have also been privileged to have the opportunity to promote disability awareness in the communities we visit by putting on Kids on the Block puppet shows and making friendship visits with organizations who provide opportunities to community members with disabilities. Just last night we rode with Special Olympics cyclists in an event called Pedal for Pennies. I partnered with Adela, a local cyclist, to claim the women’s record in the event – 6 laps around the lake! After the feast of a dinner we had (my stomach has also expanded to 5 times its normal size) we cleared the tables out of the lake-side pavilion for a dance, where our team serenaded the female participants with hits by the Backstreet Boys and the Jonas Brothers.

I feel privileged to to have the opportunity to participate in the Journey of Hope, and thank you for your continued support. I hope you are enjoying your summer, especially if you are enduring monsoon season in MA.

All the best,
Mike Keough

To keep tabs on the team check out their daily journal entries or check out their photos from the road on Flickr.