crossed the finish line!

I made it all the way to Portland! The last three days were frenzied - long days, headwinds, and steep short climbs along the coast. With the prospect of the finish line so close, I spent more time being mindful and less time crafting posts.

This meant appreciating the shifting landscapes from central Oregon to the coast, the vivid blue of the sky and sea, and lush greenery as I reached Portland. Besides external observations, this mindfulness gave me space to observe my emotions as the miles went past. Reactions to my motivation for the adventure, completing such a long standing goal, anticipation for the future, appreciation for the past.

Thinking about why I decided to cycle across America brought on a mix of emotions. Raising awareness for Rape Crisis made me consider the breadth of their work -from the services that I used, to their collaboration with government and educational institutions. Their multi-level approach addresses social attitudes and individual experiences, helping prevent sexual violence and ameliorating its impact..

It also brought back my interactions with Rape Crisis. Phoning them, curled up on the stairs of my flat in tears while my housemates were out, and having someone just listen and make sure I felt safe. Their thoughtfully written and informative emails throughout the police investigation checking in with progress of the case and how I was doing - the kindness and respect in their tone juxtaposed the harshness of the police. Accessing a counsellor who carefully guided me through my symptoms and helped me come to terms with what had happened until my flashbacks and panic attacks stopped, and I felt like a person again. These memories made my eyes water, but also made me appreciate how far I’ve come.

Since finishing a lot of people have said: they’re proud of me;they’re inspired by what I’ve done, or that I must feel amazing. And don’t get me wrong, this trip has been brilliant - looking at a map I can’t quite believe I’ve covered so much of the earth’s curves on a bike, on my own. But I feel more proud of seeing how broken I was after being raped, and how whole I am now. And that was part of why I started this adventure - to parallel the intense challenges someone who experiences sexual violence faces with something that is obviously hard. To see if cycling across the US is easier than the trauma of rape’. And honestly, it’s so much easier.

Then I get out of my little egocentric head, and remember there are more than 14,000 people on the waiting list for services from Rape Crisis and 1000s accessing their online services everyday. That’s so many people hurting from sexual violence, and we can help those people overcome the pain from that trauma! We need more services like those provided byRape Crisis to do so. And that’s why I’m trying to raise awareness for this charity.

So please donate so we help survivors of sexual violence overcome a challenge far greater than cycling across America, alone, in 49 days.