Journey of Hope cyclists stop in Park City on cross-country ride

Photo: Luke McGinley // Journey of Hope

PARK CITY, Utah — Twenty-seven cyclists from across the country pedaled into Park City on June 22 as part of the Journey of Hope, a 4,000-mile ride from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. that raises awareness and support for people with disabilities.

Organized by The Ability Experience, the philanthropic initiative of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, the ride highlights accessibility issues and benefits organizations serving people with disabilities across the nation.

The team reached Park City after climbing Big Cottonwood Canyon and Guardsman Pass. With just over two weeks of hard riding under their belts, much of it crossing the hot Nevada desert, riders were happy to be in a mountain town. 

Though Park City isn’t a typical stop on a cross-country ride, Journey of Hope maps its route based on visits to accessibility centers, according to project manager Ben Galbraith.

On their first day in town, the team took a tour of the National Ability Center, where they saw adaptive programs in archery, equestrian sports, and cycling. “It was really special to get to see the campus and see a lot of what we’re riding for in action,” said Galbraith. “We also saw their adaptive bikes and mountain bikes, which were obviously of interest to us.” 

For rider Matthew Scott, the journey is personal. His cousin, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, recently graduated from college. “I remember hearing stories that doctors told his parents that he wouldn’t make it overnight, and now he’s made all the way through college,” said Scott. “I know that if he could be out here doing this, he would. So I just thought I should do it for him.”

For one rider, Matthew Scott, the ride is personal. “My cousin has cerebral palsy, and he’s a little bit older than me so he just graduated college, but he’s in a wheelchair, heavily assisted, super smart guy,” said Scott. “When he was born, I remember hearing stories that doctors told his parents that he wouldn’t make it overnight, and now he’s made all the way through college. And I know that if he could be out here doing this, he would. So I just thought I should do it for him.”

On their second day in town, the team completed a service project at Jordanelle State Park cleaning up the beach area to make it easier boats and rafts to enter and exit the reservoir. “The feeling of accomplishing something physically, just the beauty of the outdoors and getting to engage with that, I think that’s something that everybody should have access to,” said one of the riders, Jackson Sherman.

In 2025, the Journey of Hope teams will raise more than $450,000 through sponsorships and donations. All participants are members of Pi Kappa Phi and many have given up internships or other summer plans to take part.