Today has been filled with mixed emotions, and it's only 1pm. Last night I found out that a rider on SC2SC'11 passed away after being hit by a car while on the road. Though I did not know her personally, Bike & Build is a giant family, and we all feel a connection with each other no matter if we've met or not. Since I've heard the news, I have had it on my mind, and members from my group are finding ways to send our love to the riders on that trip to show that we are thinking about them during this time. The news of this accident reminded me of last summer when we found out about another Bike & Build rider named Paige who was in an accident and passed away. When you ride on your bike, you realize that it is dangerous to be sharing the roads with drivers, but you don't really think that an accident could happen until it does happen. After Paige's accident, members of another group sent out bracelets for the riders to wear in her honor, and I haven't taken that bracelet off since I got it in Arizona last summer. It's hard to think that now 2 members of the Bike & Build family have passed away while participating in the trip, but I know that they will remain in my thoughts and in the thoughts of other members of the Bike & Build family. For information about the accident involving Christina Genco's accident, please visit Bike & Build's webpage, or follow this link: Information about Christina Genco's Accident. Please keep her family, friends, and the members of Bike & Build in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, and I'll be posting information about how people can help once that becomes available.
In some sort of cosmic fate or who knows what, I came to Boston Stoker today, and I met a man named George who had actually participated in a ride from Cincinnati to North Dakota. Though I had never met him before, we started chatting, and we got on the topic of riding bicycles (because I tend to sway topics in that direction probably). When I found out about his ride, which he did on a tandem with a friend, I was immediately intrigued and excited to meet someone else who had accomplished something of that nature. Apparently he was able to make it his honors thesis project, and used the experience for writing, photography, etc. to support his thesis. I find it really neat to be able to share stories with other people who have accomplished similar things as to what I did on Bike & Build. We are able to automatically build this connection as cyclists, and it's also interesting to hear how their experiences were compared to my own.
Even in times of great sorrow for the passing of a Bike & Builder, I am able to see the love that unites us all. My family in B2SB'10 has come together to help those who are on the road right now for Bike & Build, and we continue to share our love even after we have completed our journey. Though I don't think I'll truly ever understand how much Bike & Build has changed me as a person, and how incredible the feat of cycling across the country really is, I do know that I am truly grateful for my new Bike & Build family and all the love they bring into my life. They are truly some of the greatest people I have ever been fortunate enough to meet, and I'm constantly inspired by all the great things they do for others.
B&B Lives Loves Rides. RIP Christina Genco.
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