PRINCETON, N.J -- 3,504 miles. 68 days. Two Princeton basketball players. One reason.
Maddie Plank and Charlie Bagin rode from the Jersey Shore to La Push, Washington all on their bicycles. The two kept a daily blog of their travels to share their favorite moments and memories along their route to the Pacific coast. Initially, the pair took on the quest as something fun to do during an abnormal year. The focus quickly shifted to riding in support of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Plank and Bagin stated the following in their blog:
"We have also decided that we will be riding in support of NAMI and mental health awareness. The covid pandemic has only exacerbated the growing mental health pandemic that plagues hundreds of millions of people worldwide. A commonly quoted fact from 2019 states that about 1 in every 5 adults in the US had some sort of mental health illness, and about 1 in every 10 struggled with anxiety or depression specifically. Surveys taken in January 2021 show that about 4 in every 10 adults now struggle with anxiety or depression. SAMSHA, a mental health national hotline, saw their call volume surge almost 900% over the summer of 2020. 90% of suicides are due to mental illness.The stats go on...
I, Maddie, having struggled with eating disorder symptoms over the past few years, used the free time provided by quarantine to focus on resolving my body dysmorphia, excessive stress surrounding food, and unhealthy eating habits. I am eternally grateful to my family and friends, who gave me the confidence, love, patience, and support as I worked on my mental health. I relied heavily on the help of a dietician (who served more as a psychologist and friend) and sports psychologist to manage my symptoms and improve my quality of life.
I, Charlie, was not even aware of the concept of “mental health” until I got to college. Over the last four years I’ve learned a lot on the subject. I’ve read articles, watched videos, and attended lectures that addressed the topic. Most importantly, and most impactfully, I’ve listened to close friends and family describe their various battles with mental health. This is an issue that I hope can be discussed more openly in everyday discourse so that we can break down the borders of stigma and help people work through their struggles."
Below is a glance into what life was like “on the road”. The duo frequently shared photos of their progress along with unique encounters via Instagram.
Their full blog and route can be found here.