In four weeks I’m taking on the Race Around Rwanda — a self-supported, ultra-distance bikepacking race that circumnavigates the entire country for 1000 km with 20,000 meters of elevation. This will be my first ultra-distance race ever.

I’ll be riding solo, carrying everything I need, moving day and night — and no doubt learning as I go.

I’m proud to be riding in collaboration with Coalition Cycling to raise funds for Frankie & Jay’s, a Ballard-based, community-led nonprofit rooted in mutual aid, dignity, and care for our unhoused and low-income neighbors. Our goal is to raise funds for 4160 meals - or one year worth of operating costs.

"Frankie & Jay's Breakfast is a mutual aid project serving free breakfast to our neighbors at the Ballard Commons Park. Each week our crew cooks from scratch with lots of love, growing from a handful of weekly visitors to serving hot meals and coffee to 50-75 folks every Saturday. Since early 2024, our breakfast has been powered exclusively through the generosity of this beautiful community. Whether cooking, serving, or making a financial contribution, we are a purely volunteer crew united by the belief that all our neighbors should be able to share in a wholesome, dignified meal. Accessing a hot meal on the weekends is especially challenging for folks with limited facilities or funds, and Frankie & Jay's is currently the only option in the Ballard area on Saturday mornings.

Our breakfast was started by a community member from the area who wanted to share his own EBT benefits to serve breakfast for the folks he used to live outside with. When we heard about his efforts, we started organizing friends and community to support the weekly breakfast. Frankie & Jay's Breakfast is named in honor of Jay, a community member who was lost during a cold streak in January of 2024 that took the lives of several of our unhoused neighbors. In the beloved memory of Jay and his canine companion Frankie, we serve any and all who visit, with no questions asked.

100 percent of your contributions will go to purchasing ingredients and essential supplies for our weekly breakfasts. We are deeply grateful to the community that has allowed us to keep our neighbors fed now for nearly two years running, and look forward to continuing our weekly service in 2026. There is deep strength and power in community care. Thank you for your consideration and support for Frankie & Jay's and for your neighbors in need."