Bikes Fight Poverty is not for the faint of heart.

Two days, two countries, over 200 miles through the Sonoran desert. Not to mention months of training rides – starting in the extreme heat of late summer and concluding on cold, wet winter mornings.

All for one purpose, one unifying mission: to raise money and awareness that will help put vulnerable families in safe, secure houses.

Needless to say, this ride is not for everyone. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to sit it out. Even if you’re an avid cyclist like Greg Krasa. Even more if you’re battling prostate cancer, as Greg was, undergoing radiation treatments up until the week before the ride.

Image: Greg Krasa with friends and family at the hospital after completing radiation treatment.

Image: The TrueBeam linear accelerator used for Greg’s radiation treatments.

Greg’s story is remarkable, so I asked him to share it in his own words. Here’s what he had to say about being part of Bikes Fight Poverty while fighting cancer at the same time:

“Training for Bikes Fight Poverty and going through radiation treatment at the same time was probably one of the hardest things I’ve done so far. The treatment was every weekday for almost eight weeks. It was like being on a roller coaster: some days you felt good and other days you felt pretty bad. The radiation fatigue and side effects you experience from being treated where your prostate was got old real fast.

However, focusing on training was a huge positive. It really helped me look beyond the suck of cancer. Instead of focusing on the side effects, I focused on how to best manage them so I could keep training. Instead of focusing on the negative thoughts that come with cancer I focused on how I could make another family’s life better. I also felt very strongly that this was part of God’s plan for me and it was through his strength that I was able to pull off this endeavor.

I have been wanting to do this ride for years. The battle with cancer and other life events had kept me sidelined until I finally said enough is enough. The ride was the best part of my entire treatment plan. I have met so many amazing people training for this ride. 1MISSION and the Bikes Fight Poverty community are like no other. It’s like one big family working together to make life better for those less fortunate. I really can’t put into words the quality of people that make up this organization. That’s why I did this ride and will keep doing this ride because of the people I’m riding with and the people we are helping.”

We’re inspired by Greg’s story and by the generosity and commitment of everyone who does their part to give people in poverty the opportunity to earn a house by serving their community!

Check out our Bikes Fight Poverty 2020 highlight video below. We recommend full screen, high volume – and trust us, you’ll want to watch to the very end.