On day 1, I started my journey with “Team Biddies” and on the final day, day 70, we decided to finish the day together. We had planned to leave around 9 a.m. so we would be sure to make the 10:40 a.m. ferry to Seattle. Our dedication circle was led by none other than Matt and it was simply awesome. I dedicated my day to my family - you love, support and inspire me on a regular basis - to my team - Team Seattle you are also family to me and have changed me in ways I still discovering every day - and to Jamie - you immersed yourself in life without holding anything back, you ran with an open heart at everything life offered, and you inspired others to do the same because you believed in them, even when they didn’t.
Our breakfast was amazing, but I could hardly eat for the excitement. Our group headed out early and were following Chey’s chalking along easily enough. A quick, hard stop downhill led to Dana breaking a nipple on her bike and a potential major delay. The circumstances were frustrating, and we had a ferry to catch! But, with the both of us, we managed to replace the nipple and tune her tire in less than 10 minutes. (You can get scary good at repairs on the 4K!) It was hard not to laugh in that moment; our journey had been plagued by tire repairs and it ironically fit that we could potentially miss the ferry for a broken nipple.
You probably know we didn’t miss the ferry though. We made it with plenty of time to spare and lined up to get to the ferry, cheering, singing, dancing and general merriment abound. The ferry was somehow even more beautiful and special than it had been the last time I was on it. I guess a journey like this can do that to you. But the trip replayed itself in my mind, over and over, as the shoreline got closer and closer. We had our team cheer on the prow of the ship - one of the best cheers I think we’ve ever had and full spectacle for the rest of the passengers, too!
I ran to the bathroom as we were docking and almost missed getting off the boat! Yikes! That would have been unfortunate... However, for once in our entire trip, we were early! And, as fortune would have it, we found a perfect place to pull off and regroup right next to Subway. Subway had been a staple in our diets across the country, so looking back, it shouldn’t have been surprising. Eric and I went exploring and met this guy with two awesome dogs, Pebbles and Booger. He worked for the National Park Service and we chatted for a long while before it was time to make our way through Pike’s Place. The final irony, had us at the bottom of a pretty large hill before the final finish. Kyle ran in front, American flag flying behind him, and we rode the final stretch of our journey cheers erupting among us.
Families, friends and strangers all greeted us at the end. Hugs and love were shared and (of course) tears for many - don’t worry, crying is 4KOK. Somehow, the team found our way back together and an anticipation-filled silence settled over the team. We slowly started rocking back and forth as we prepared for the final team cheer. What began as a group of 24 strangers had become a single voice that grew louder and louder until it echoed across the park and beyond and the last of our strength poured into it. The air burst with the final call of “who are we?” and Elli delivered a wonderful speech, complete with overwhelmed moments, and then we ran together for a final, huge, jumping hug.
70 days. 14 states. Over 4,000 miles. Cycle. Inspire. Unite.
