California woman biking across country to raise money for organizations

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — A California woman raising money for various organizations by riding her bike across the country made a stop in Zanesville on Sunday.

Marisol Gomez of Huntington Beach, CA began planning her journey from Long Beach, CA to Long Beach, NY approximately five years ago. However, two years ago she suffered nerve-damage in her feet, and she decided to expedite her plans before she feared she might not be able to do it at all. So Gomez, feeling passionate about several causes, decided to help eight different organizations she had connections with.

“Two years ago I developed some nerve damage in my feet, so the only thing that doesn’t hurt my feet is riding my bike. So then I decided let’s do a fundraiser for people, animals, veterans, the environment– anyone that could possibly need some help. So I came up with eight different organizations to raise money for along the way,” explained Gomez.

With friends suffering from MS (Multiple Sclerosis), diabetes running in her family, a love for pets, a concern for the environment, and friends and family that have served in the military, Gomez said she found it too hard to just pick one or two organizations to raise money for– so she picked eight.

The journey for Gomez began on April 1st, which caused many family and friends at first to believe it was an “April Fools” joke. However, when they started seeing her post pictures of her journey, they realized she was serious. And Gomez says while they were apprehensive at first, her family has become her biggest support system and just hearing their voices keeps her going.

Gomez has already traveled close to 3,000 miles, with just over 700 more to go before reaching Long Beach, NY. Gomez says she has taken a couple of breaks to visit family, and avoid hail storms, but she is riding between 40-90 miles per day to stay on track.

In addition to herself and her bike, Gomez is also traveling with water, Gatorade, a water filtration system, a stove, tools to fix her bike, clothes, and a solar panel that charges her phone and electronics while she is riding. In total, her bike and equipment weighs approximately 130 lbs.

And while Gomez has had a few people allow her to stay with them, most of her nights have been spent camping. Though camping hasn’t been the hardest part of the journey for her.

Gomez has battled the hills of Flagstaff, the winds of Kansas, flat tires, road closures, and many other barriers, but she is touched by the overwhelming support that people provide wherever she goes.

“The most beautiful thing I’ve seen, without getting too emotional and starting to cry, is the kindness of people, along the way, that you meet. You just never know who you’re going to meet, and whose going to help you out as much as they have. This country of ours is beautiful to see in slow motion, but to be able to meet and talk to people and hear their story is very heartwarming,” Gomez added.

Lastly, Gomez posed the question, “what would you do if you knew you could not fail?” She said once she rid herself of any self-doubt, she knew she could accomplish this journey and believes anyone can do the same with any goal they may want to accomplish themselves. It’s all about removing negative thoughts from your head.

Gomez will complete her journey in New York by July 4th. You can find a full-list of organizations that she is supporting, and also donate to her ride and those organizations, by visiting her GoFundMe page at: gofundme.com/marisolgo. You can also follow her journey @mujerdelsol on Instagram.