Now that the race is behind Arvid and the crew, we can take an extended look at the momentous day.
They say it’s the world’s hardest bicycle race. Twice as long as the Tour de France, longer than the Giro d’Italia, it spans the entire continental United States. Its elevations shift enough to ascend and descend mount everest over a dozen times, with weather ranging from shivering cold rain storms to 45 degree celsius desert infernos. It spans three time zones across 12 states.
On June 23rd, just after midday, Arvid Loewen crossed the Race Across America (RAAM) finish line in Annapolis, Maryland, joining the many dozens of cyclists, solo and teams, from over 25 countries who completed the race, clocking in at 11 days, 20 hours, and 18 minutes — a mere 2 and a half hours shy of the end of official race time.
In the days preceding the race, Arvid had suffered from various complications — pain and stress in his knees, maintaining caloric consumption, and extreme fatigue from excessive ascents. However, he reflected positively on the bigger picture . “It’s been a wonderful experience, but also a very difficult experience. These things do not come easy… I guess that’s why they call it the toughest bike race!” We, his crew, had likewise anticipated a to-the-wire struggle to complete on time, but we were pleasantly surprised as he proceeded to finish with hours to spare in — as you can see in these photos — fantastic spirits.
On the finisher’s stage, Arvid shared with those gathered just how much a race of this calibre asks of a rider at any age — not simply physical, but also mentally. “At two o’clock at night, facing a headstorm and an extreme desire to quit, it really isn’t about how good of an athlete you are – it’s about being at peace with yourself and saying, ‘No, this is a commitment I made, and I’m going to continue to do that.'”
For Arvid, the key point of his dedication in cycling is what it teach him and exemplify to others about how to live life off the bike and beyond the finish line, when the race becomes a memory. “Within [12 days], I have experienced more mental, physical, and emotional experience than most will in a lifetime. For me, though, the idea is, ‘do I know where to apply them in real life where it matters?’” Since 2005, Arvid has raised $2.5 miillion (CAD) for Mully Children’s Family by cycling in events such as RAAM. In doing so, he has not only brought to the light the work of MCF, but become something of a living athletic metaphor for the perserverance of its founder, Charles Mulli, and those who have joined him in the mission to save the lives of Kenya’s street children.
And this is a journey that Arvid and Charles invite you to join. You don’t need to be a cyclist – you just need an open heart and an awareness that the capacity to create a positive change in the lives of others across the street or around the world is not limited to ambitious ultramarathon cyclist grandpas – anyone possesses this capacity. Grandpas can – and so can you!
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To learn more about Mully Children’s Family, visit their website. If you would like to join Arvid and make a donation, click here.
Enjoy this slideshow from the day at the finish line!
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Congratulations on your achievement dear Arvid! You are the IRON man and deserve a good long night’s rest. Thank the Lord that he kept you and your team safe on this grueling long journey across the good ole USA. Mully Children’s Family must be so overjoyed that you represented them once again to raise money and save more children’s lives. Nice photos of you and your wife and the team. You proved once again that GrandpasCan.
With Christian love, your friends Werner and Wendy
Arvid is just an incredible man!! I have been rooting and praying for him since the start of this race and am awed that he was able to complete it. I honestly think he should be recognized for his amazing bike race fund-raising endeavours by the Govt of Canada! Arvid is a great Canadian and a credit to all Canadians!!