It’s Time.

After months and months of preparation it’s time. TIme to start pedaling. Time to start traversing the country. Time to experience Major League Baseball. Time to make a difference. It’s time to change the lives of youth through mentoring. Ladies and gentlemen, the 2015 Biking for Baseball season is about to begin.

This past weekend, really got me excited to start pedaling! B4B’ers Rex and Adam flew out to Milwaukee for the weekend to assist with a few events we’ve had going on. First off, Saturday morning we held an awesome clinic at the YMCA with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee. The kids were pumped for baseball season. The excitement showed as they were smashing wiffle balls across the gym! Adam led an improvised game of pepper, to practice fielding techniques. I led the round of pitching techniques. Some of these kids had incredible arms. They brought some serious heat. The kids had a blast. I had a blast. The mentors had a blast as well. It was a great clinic! 

Thanks to my aunt, uncle, and cousin for hosting myself, Rex, and Adam for the night! Fred even came out to the clinic and got in on the action! Snapped some great photos, and helped out big time. Thanks to Nadine and Leah as well for being some great hosts. While in Wisconsin, we even set up Rex and Adam with some spotted cow, cheese curds, a tour of Lambeau Field, and of course, Kopps Frozen Custard. That’s about as Wisconsin as it comes!

I gotta give a HUGE high five to everyone who showed up to the send off on Saturday night in Wisconsin Rapids! It was quite the turnout, and more exciting than anticipated as the Badgers clinched a trip to the Final Four! You can guarantee I’ll be watching the game Saturday night in Seattle! Also, big thanks to Garth Engelbright who provided live music for the event, Ridges Golf Course, and all the other gracious businesses and individuals who donated raffle items! You guys rock! It was great to see so many family, friends, and community members rally around to support Biking for Baseball before I embark on this trip of a lifetime.

On a side note, I want to thank the various schools of Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools who held fundraisers to support Biking for Baseball. Grove Elementary School held a penny war amongst the students, and boy were they supportive of Biking for Baseball! The kids had all sort of questions for me about the ride. Honestly, kids have some of the best questions around, and I LOVE answering them. You never know what they’re going to ask.

East Junior High actually had a contest to elect a teacher to kiss a donkey. You read that right. Two teachers bravely volunteered to kiss Applejack the donkey. One on the mouth, and one the butt.  Since they were raising money for Biking for Baseball, I decided to pucker up as well. Not the ideal way that I had dreamt about my first kiss, but I’ll take it! Finally, Lincoln High School donated some of the proceeds from their winter dance to support Biking for Baseball. It’s really incredible what all these students did to support B4B! That kind of support is what makes a trip of this magnitude possible.

Tomorrow, I depart on the Amtrak to take me out to Seattle. The 42 hour ride will allow me to reflect and think about the months ahead. I’ve done a whole lot of planning for this trip. By that, I mean hours and hours and hours of preparing for the logistics of the trip. Though there’s no way to know what to expect. I’m gonna meet people, in every part of the trip who impress me with their gratitude, shower me with hospitality, and demonstrate how great this world is.

Am I nervous? You bet. I’m scared. At the same time, I am so excited to start this trip. I’m ready to be challenged by weather, pain, and mental toughness. I dare you to try to stop me. I dare you to tell me that this is impossible. I’ll do my absolute best to prove you wrong. Fear has never stopped me from attaining a goal. Not now. Not yesterday, not tomorrow. I’m constantly asking myself questions. Will my training be enough? Will I be able to handle the mental stress of pedaling for hours on end each and every day? Will I be able to find my way around new parts of country? How will I handle cycling through New York and LA? Will I have enough water for the desert? Can I climb the rockies? These are the questions that go through my head each and everyday. The truth is, I don’t know. That’s the beauty of it. I can prepare, train, and plan like I have for the last 10 months, and I won’t know until it actually happens. That’s what makes this trip exciting. The unpredictability. Whatever curveball is thrown my way, I’ll try my absolute best to adjust to it.

Next stop, Seattle! I’ll see you in six months Wisconsin! Now that the trip is starting, expect a lot more regular blogposts. I hope that you follow along on the adventure!

Hi5!

-Matt