This summer, Zach Calkins took to the road to raise awareness about hunger and support for Hunger Free Colorado. He rode a total of 233 miles in back-to-back bike races, the Leadville 100 and Breck Epic! Thank you, Zach! Keep reading to hear, in his own words, what keeps him going.
“Race week is here and I will challenge myself with one of the hardest one-day mountain bike races in the country (on Saturday), followed by one of the hardest mountain bike stages races on Sunday.
Why do I want to do this to myself you ask? Great question! I love a challenge, the challenge of pushing myself further than I think is possible, the challenge of riding my mountain bike over 13,000 ft (in a day), the challenge of keeping a clear mind and focusing on being safe, but fast. One of my biggest driving forces is the challenge of making a positive impact for a charity every year. This year my charity is Hunger Free Colorado.
Food insecurity has really been front of mind for me this year, especially how it impacts young children. I can’t imagine what it’s like to go to school hungry and then focus on getting good grades and maintaining a positive attitude. Food insecurity is not just a Colorado issue, it’s an issue in every county, state, city and rural community across the country.
On Saturday, around my 8th hour of pedaling, knowing that one of the nastiest climbs is in front of me, I will enter what some call the pain cave, a dark place where I question why I’m doing this, why I’m failing from a nutrition standpoint when I have almost 1000 calories of nutrition within reach and essentially feel sorry for myself. You know what knocks me out of this dark place every year? The charity I’m racing for, Hunger Free Colorado, and my fellow Coloradans who wonder where their next meal is going to come from. That will knock me back to reality.
I look forward to your support in the fight against hunger in Colorado and beyond.”
– Zach Calkins
Zach has raised $7,000 of his $10,000 goal! Click below to help him reach the finish line:
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/hunger-free-colorado/zach-calkins