Rider Profiles
Get to know some of the people involved with the Ride.
Kelley Sikes
Kelley Sikes, Yes Rider
Veterinary Technician
Q. Tell us about yourself.
A. I am 25 years old and live in Boulder, Colorado. My future goals include assisting people who otherwise would never have access to help, and make a huge difference in their lives. Even if only ONE person benefits from the work that I do, I consider that a huge success.
Q. What has brought you to the Yes Ride?
A. My decision to participate in this event was easy. When we were brainstorming about what we could do to help, this idea was thrown my way, and I was amazed to hear how many times the phrase "why not?" came out of my mouth. I could not think of ONE good reason why I shouldn't do this ride. I knew immediately that it would change my life, and the fact that it would change so many more lives by my participating, motivated me even that much more.
Q. Have you done anything like this before?
A. I also believe that this will be the single most challenging thing that I have ever participated in. Last year I had the extreme challenge of training for and running the San Francisco marathon. It taught me about commitment. I worked hard for seven months while training and when I crossed the finish line on July 31 last year, I knew my life had been changed forever. And that was just something I did for myself. Now I am ready to do it for others, and I am going to do it by riding my bike across America.
Eamon Aloyo
Eamon Aloyo, Yes Rider
Ph.D. Student
University of Colorado at Boulder
Q. Tell us about yourself
A. I am a 24-year-old Ph.D. student in political science at the University of Colorado, Boulder, U.S, and I'm organizing this ride because I have opportunity. Jeffery Sachs wrote, "I am not predicting what will happen, only explaining what can happen. Currently more than eight million people around the world die each year because they are too poor to stay alive. Our generation can choose to end that extreme poverty by the year 2025" (The End of Poverty, Penguin Press, NY, 2005, p.1).
Q. Why are you doing the ride?
A. I'm co-organizing and partaking in this ride because extreme poverty causes difficult imagine levels of completely unnecessary human suffering, and is something that, just by living in the rich world, everyone can do something about. The most difficult part of this ride for me will be balancing academic obligations and the inordinate amounts of time necessary for organizing.
Chris Markl
Chris Markl, Yes Rider
Ph.D. Student: Political Science
University of Colorado at Boulder
Q. Tell us about yourself
A. I am a 25 year old Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado. I am riding my bike across America to save lives in the developing world. People in Sub-Sahara are poor for one reason, the location of their birth. Imagine if you and I were born into a family where each person subsists on 74 cents a day. Imagine if you and I were born infected with AIDS, where one in ten of us will perish before the age of 5. Wouldn't we want someone to do everything possible to help us? By riding across America, I am making a commitment to each person who currently lives in poverty. I am making the commitment that poverty is not an African issue, but an issue of Humanity.
Q. Why are you doing the ride?
A. I am excited to participate in this event, because my actions will save lives today. By riding my bike across America children in Kenya will receive free secondary education; families in Russia, Rwanda, and Haiti will receive the same level of health care that is available in the first world; families in Sub Sahara Africa will receive income generating renewable assets such as animals and seedlings and because of this ride a vaccine will be found for malaria and AIDS, diseases that claim over 4 million lives each year.
Q. What is your favorite quote?
A. "I know I can't change the world, but we can."-Bono.
