Summary

Richie Crowley is embarking on an 85-day solo bicycle journey across America, named The Wellness Ride, to promote accessible wellness and raise meals for the hungry, while documenting his experiences and insights.

Abstract

Richie Crowley is set to depart on July 20th from Canton Junction, embarking on a cross-country bicycle ride to California. This journey, dubbed The Wellness Ride, is not just a physical endeavor but a statement on the accessibility of wellness. Crowley advocates for a holistic approach to wellness that includes mental health, community engagement, natural movement, plant-based eating, financial responsibility, and compassion. He aims to demonstrate that wellness is not a commodity but a state of being achievable through affordable and convenient means. The ride also serves as a fundraiser to provide plant-based meals to those in need, with a goal of raising 5,000 meals. Throughout the trip, Crowley will share his journey through various mediums, including writing, photography, and social media, and will host events in multiple cities to engage with communities along the route.

Opinions

Wellness should not be viewed as a commodity but as an accessible state of being that encompasses various aspects of life, including mental health, community, movement, diet, and financial well-being.
The current perception of wellness is too narrowly focused on fitness and diet products, rather than embracing a broader and more holistic approach.
Personal wellness can be achieved through basic, affordable, and convenient changes, as evidenced by Crowley's own journey of healing.
The impact of wellness advocacy should extend beyond digital audiences to create tangible change in diverse communities.
The act of biking across America is both a personal mission and a public example of how one can pursue wellness and inspire others to do the same.

I’m Riding My Bicycle Across America

On Saturday, July 20th, I’m going for a bike ride.

I’m going to leave the Canton Junction commuter rail parking lot and turn right on to Sherman Street. From there, I’ll ride to the light across from the town hall and again turn right. This time onto Washington Street. About 2 miles later, I’ll pull into a parking lot at the Canton town line and say goodbye. Goodbye to my family, goodbye to my friends, goodbye to my childhood hometown, and then I’ll continue to California, on my bicycle.

I’ve noticed a trend that wellness has become a commodity. Something that we purchase. A line of products promising vitality and debt. Rather than access wellness by mobilizing the tools we come equipped with, we’ve looked to a studio class or an $11 green juice as the yellow brick road to our wellness. That’s diet and fitness, not wellness.

You see, wellness stretches beyond the walls of a gym, and doesn’t come with the option of insert chip now. Yes, what I consume and how I move are critical parts of my wellness, but there are several more buckets.

To me, wellness is a state of being. It’s life without disease, physical and mental, spent full of actions in alignment with our purpose. My blueprint for wellness includes caring for my mind and the stress it may create, living in community and nurturing relationships, moving naturally and eating plants, sleeping well, meditating and expressing gratitude, being financially responsible and also compassionate.

And I’ve known life without wellness and through a series of basic, affordable and convenient changes, I’ve healed. This is why I so passionately advocate for wellness and the truth that it is accessible. Accessible meaning it’s affordable, convenient and it looks like you.

My mission is to highlight that we have already have the resources needed to cultivate our own wellness, and bring this into communities across the country in an off-the-screen installation.

Paulo Coehlo wrote that “The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.” Well, it’s my opinion that anyone can post about wellness, show a glimpse into their lifestyle through 15 second installments, but it’s how we educate and impact those outside of our captured digital audiences that we spread our truth and in return receive an accurate education on the diversity of communities we must be considering. So to honor the quote by Coehlo, and my belief that I can change the world, I’m here to be an example.

That’s why this summer, I’ll be riding my bike across America on The Wellness Ride.

The Wellness Ride is an 85 Day Athletic Art Installation designed to educate on the accessibility of wellness and encourage individuals to invest in their own wellness, while also raising meals for the hungry across America. And you can bet I’ll be documenting the intimate moments of this adventure through writing, images and good ole fashion pineapple dances.

You will see me riding a bicycle, meditating in nature, eating plants, spending time in community, maintaining my sobriety and offering plant-based meals to the hungry along the way.

The goal of the wellness ride is to raise 5,000 meals and empower individuals to invest in their own wellness. Each meal is a delicious plant-based creation of Veestro’s that is $5 and will be donated directly to organizations across the country, and each of you deserves to be well.

We’ve created a simple donation page and each week I’ll be sharing the intimate details of this ride if you’d like to hear them. My ask of you beyond donating meals is to speak this ride into your conversations. On a first date, on a facetime, during 2 truths and lie, or when answering How Was Your Day, fill the void of your conversations with tales of The Wellness Ride. Tell the world your friend is biking across America to advocate for wellness and to raise meals.

I planted the idea to bike across America 3 years ago, a sticky note in a leather-bound notebook forgotten until this spring when a timely Charles Bukowski quote came across my eyes.

“If something burns your soul with purpose and desire it’s your duty to be reduced to ashes by it. Any other forms of existence will be yet another dull book in the library of life.” So here I am, ready to ride.

Let’s fucking do this.

Richie. Human.

Now that the ride is over, I’ve spent time digesting and reflecting on the entire adventure. I did my best to capture these reflections in a 3-part series.

Part 1

The Truths Uncovered When Riding Your Bicycle Across America Alone

This summer, I rode my bicycle 3,904 miles across America, unsupported and alone. This is what I found.

medium.com

Part 2

I Lost My Mind In The Middle Of Missouri

The funny thing about calling this ride The Wellness Ride is that in the process of delivering wellness to over 2,000…

medium.com

Part 3

The Greatest Personal Tragedy Is That Of A Dream Deferred.

There is safety in dreaming without action, it protects you by not inviting failure onto yourself. But without failure…

medium.com

The difference between Seth Godin, The Morning Brew, and me? I respect your inbox, curating only one newsletter per month — Join my behind-the-words monthly newsletter to feel what it’s like to receive a respectful newsletter.

And, for those interested in what else I’m building, come over to RICKiRICKi.

Meet me 🤠 • LinkedIn • Instagram • Twitter • TikTok • Facebook • YouTube

Get Involved

Donate a bundle of meals here.

Join the intimate conversations by adding yourself to my weekly newsletter and also receive the #iAmWildButWell challenge.

Meet the people of The Wellness Ride through the This Is America online gallery.

Track The Wellness Ride by reading the Daily Diary entries, following along on Strava or visiting my route tracking page.

Meet me and follow along via Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, and Youtube.

Ride With Me through any of these notable cities: Boston, Providence, New London, New Haven, Stamford, Brooklyn, New York City, Lancaster, Pittsburgh, Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis, Funkhouser, St. Louis, Kansas City, Clay Center, Hays, Denver, Breckenridge, Grand Junction, Green River, St. George, Las Vegas, Los Angeles

Spend Time With Me at our local free and public events along the route.

The First Pedal | Canton, MA | July 20th

The Water Balloon Fight | Brooklyn, NY | July 27th

Yoga In The Park | Cleveland, OH | August 11th

Brewfest & The Wellness Mural | St. Louis, MO | August 24th

Storytellers In The Mountains | Denver, CO | September

Surprise | Las Vegas, NV | October

The Last Pedal | Santa Monica, CA | October 12

Richie. Human.