Constructing Futures, One Pedal Stroke at a Time – wayne centrone

Greetings from the Sacred Valley of Cusco. The weather has changed in the high mountains, and spring has brought rain. It is just beautiful. A lush Eden of a place.

I want to tell you a story about one of the boys in our Casa Girasoles program. I will call him Raul. Raul has always been a bit shy. He was the sort of adolescent that blended into the background. When we started our Girasoles Sanos Cycling Team, Raul took to the bike like a fish to water. 

Thanks to the generosity of Mike Colbach and BicycleAttorney.com from Portland and a group of committed volunteers (Hugh Givens, Kevin Chudy, and Laura Miller), the bike team has grown to support the boys at each Casa Girasoles home. The program is a lifeline for some of the boys.

Last week, Raul competed in his first bike race. A cross-country event that went from the city of Cusco to the town of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley. The race took a route that included technical descending, tight single track, and a mountain pass of over 15,000 FASL. 

Raul was third overall. Competing against seasoned riders and elite competitors, he took a spot on the podium. In all our work, with all our efforts – nothing has been more effective to help connect more deeply with Raul (and to help him connect more deeply with himself) than a bicycle.

Thanks, Mike, Hugh, Kevin, Laura, and Team!