We began our day riding in the rain and encountering various hills as we proceeded from Crawfordsville Indiana to Vincennes, Indiana. By afternoon, the weather was much better and we began to see glimpses of fairly decent weather. The headwinds were approximately 10 miles per hour which allowed us to ride at an average pace of 15 miles per hour.

We had a very interesting day interviewing with various news media with Joe DeLamielleure sharing information about the red football helmet he is wearing when he rides his bike. Joe is so passionate about the quality of the helmet and how it can protect football players from concussions that he asked the reporter to hit his helmet as hard as he could while it was on his head to demonstrate how it would hold up when getting pounded on the football field. The reporter didn’t take him up on it, however, he concurred that it was a great helmet. In addition, we were interviewing at the Verizon store and the reporter commented on what good shape Joe was in and how he looks like he could play professional football today even at his age. He asked Joe how he has stayed in such great shape. Joe told the reporter that he works out with Joe D Bands and proceeded to demonstrate 23 different exercises with the bands on the floor of the Verizon store. All of the approximate 20 people in the store stopped what they were doing and watched in amazement at what Joe could do with his bands, and this was after Joe rode 25 miles on his bike.

The most touching part of our day was the kindness and generosity of many people in Indiana. Several people approached us at the gas station, restaurant, etc. to ask us about the orphanage project and fundraiser. Many of the people routinely handed us $20. bills or $5.00 to demonstrate their support for what we were doing for the children in Mexico. At dinner, a former Secret service agent and his son came into our restaurant and presented us with a $1000. check for the orphanage. It is difficult to describe the feelings all of us had as a result of the generosity and genuine interest of people to support us with our project. It is truly heartwarming experience to see the real love in people’s hearts unfold before your eyes.

I learned a few lessons today about bike riding that I think would be valuable for others to know who might consider trying a venture like this in the future. It is very true to be sure you have well padded bike pants along with a comfortable seat. Also, it is important to keep your mouth shut when riding your bike. You never know what can end up in your mouth when you are riding 15 miles an hour with your mouth open. I’m not sure what I swallowed, but I can tell you it won’t happen again.

We completed day 4 arriving in Vincennes Indiana around 4:30 pm. Vincennes is a very interesting and historical city. It is the oldest city in Indiana, and is the home of the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, which is the site of the largest Memorial Monument west of Washington, D.C. The monument honors the heroic accomplishments of Colonel Clark and his men. The City of Vincennes is one of only 3 communities in the entire state of Indiana with a National Park within its city limits. It also houses Vincennes University, which is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. Vincennes is also known for many firsts including site of the first Catholic Church in Indiana, first county, first newspaper, first Presbyterian church, first Masonic Lodge, first bank and first medical society. To say the least, Vincennes is both historical and beautiful.

We finished our day on a very high note. We continue to be inspired by the support of people and the human spirit that has become so evident as we meet people along the path of our bike ride. We feel so blessed to be part of this ride and look forward to it contributing to a better life for children in need. We look forward to Day # 5.

Written by John Shinsky