“Kicking the States” in aid of ACE!

Those of you who follow our blogs will remember Bex and Gil, two intrepid ACE volunteers who undertook “Scoot the Loop” – an amazing challenge which involved them traveling round the M25 loop on kick scooters to raise money for ACE. Unbelievably, they are now in the throes of an even bigger challenge in aid of the charity. Bex writes:

“Seven weeks ago we set off from downtown Vancouver, Canada, on our kick scooters. Our panniers were heavy with our camping gear and our stomachs were knotted with nerves at the thought of the task ahead. I kept having the same thought….are we mad?!

Taking action:

After visiting Arise 2 years ago, we left with mixed emotions as anyone who has visited Tanzania will understand. We felt deeply saddened by the situation that the children live in. But, also, we were inspired by the school and the wonderful people that live in the village. We knew we had to take action. We wanted to take the experience and do something positive with it by taking on a challenge that could help raise much needed funds for the school. The bigger and bolder the challenge, the more we could raise…and so the idea for “Kicking the States” came about.

The challenge:

Over a 3 month period, we would attempt to kick-scoot the full length of the USA from Vancouver, Canada all the way to Tijuana, Mexico. We will be completing this 1,500+ mile journey using our leg muscles alone (there are no motors!). As far as we know, no one has ever done a journey this long on a kick scooter before. We will be completely self-supported, carrying all our own gear and working out the logistics as we go.

Now do you understand why we were nervous?

Ups and downs:

The scoot has been a complete rollercoaster. As we anticipated, it has been a huge physical challenge. Each day we cover an average of 50km and every night we sleep somewhere different – sometimes camping or sometimes staying with people who have offered to host us. The trick is to take each day as it comes and to break down the distances in to small manageable chunks.

We’ve had some scary moments including a run in with a bear, someone threatening to shoot us in the night and, also, nearly being crushed by a falling redwood tree. But we’ve also had some truly amazing moments too….mostly the people we have met along the way. Strangers have shown us the most incredible generosity, helping us with food or accommodation and donating generously to our fundraising efforts. Those moments, and remembering the faces of the children at Arise, can get us through even the toughest of days.

Reaching halfway:

This week we passed the halfway mark of our adventure which felt like a huge moment. Leaving Vancouver on day one feels like a lifetime ago, as do the nerves that we experienced that day. Each day we grow with confidence and now just look forward in anticipation at what awaits us on the second half of this trip. Who knows what stories we have lying around the corner!

Please do follow our journey and show your support by donating. Go to – www.kickingthestates.com”