A team of cyclists has just completed an epic ride from Florida to New York City – all in the name of freedom.
Father-of-four John Teele and his friend Alex Brumback were joined by other cyclists for parts of their journey from Pensacola, FL to NYC. Together, they have raised $110,000 for Hope for Justice: a phenomenal achievement.
John is pastor of Voyage Church in Florida and founder of Pedal Through, which exists to raise resources for anti-trafficking projects. John and Alex, who also attends Voyage Church, completed the ride with a sense of both joy and relief.
“There were several times when I wanted to stop and felt like we wouldn’t be able to make it, but we would hear the stories of trafficking survivors and start out for another day.”
John Teele
Family members, friends, colleagues and Hope for Justice team members cheered them on as they crossed the finish line near the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday. They had covered an incredible 1,555.7 miles in 16 days.
Joseph Morgan, our Donor Engagement and Relations Advisor based in Nashville, said: “Emotions and anticipation were high as we waited for the guys to cross the finish line. I got the pleasure of staying in contact with John each day on FaceTime. Seeing some of their high highs and low lows gave me so much appreciation and joy as they came round the final corner and ended their incredible journey. It was a powerful moment!”
John and his wife Shauna first witnessed human trafficking in Thailand more than a decade ago. Shauna said: “That’s just something you cannot unsee.”
The couple then heard Tim Nelson, Hope for Justice CEO, speak at a conference. John had the idea to push himself to the physical limits by cycling – something he loves – to raise funds and awareness.
One year later, on October 18th at 7am, he set off on a huge challenge, cycling through eight states with an elevation of 38,612 feet. They completed the ride on Monday November 3rd at about 1.30pm.
Along the way they engaged in countless conversations with people, talking about the cause. There are an estimated 49.6 million people trapped in human trafficking across the globe right now.
Jason Dukes, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Hope for Justice, said: “We are so grateful for John’s commitment to and partnership with Hope for Justice. More importantly, we are so glad John, Alex, all who rode, and the crew who supported made it safe through to completion. It was such a gift to see his sense of accomplishment along with his wife Shauna’s sense of elation over reconnecting with her husband after 17 days apart.”
When asked what was next, John smiled and said: “I’ll process this one for a while, then we will see what crazy thing I can get my wife to agree to next time.”
Hope for Justice is working to bring freedom from human trafficking. Team Pedal Through has raised more than $110,000 to support our work so far. You can still donate to their fundraising efforts here: hfj.org/cycle
