Two Hope Gospel Mission Residents Turn 100-Mile Ride into Testimony of Recovery and Faith
EAU CLAIRE — For Jon and Mike, a planned 100-mile bicycle ride is more than a physical challenge. It is a public expression of faith, recovery and gratitude for the place they say helped make change possible: Hope Gospel Mission.
Both men are preparing for a century bike ride planned for Sept. 19th, beginning and ending at Hope Gospel Mission. The ride, they said, is meant to point not to themselves, but to God, to recovery and to others still looking for a way forward. “I don’t want it to be about me,” Jon said. “I just want to be able to give God the glory and do something positive for Hope Gospel.”
A Challenge With a Larger Purpose
Jon said the idea began with a personal goal: he had always wanted to complete a century bike ride. As he grew stronger in recovery, the ride became something more. He began to see it as a way to honor God and bring awareness to Hope Gospel Mission. For Mike, the ride carries a similar significance. He said the opportunity represents a milestone that would not have been possible without the environment Hope Gospel provided. “If I didn’t get offered the opportunity to come here, I would never be in the environment that would allow me to do a century ride,” Mike said. “So, it’s pretty huge for me.”
Both men said the ride is also meant to encourage others facing addiction, homelessness or broken relationships. By doing something difficult together, they hope to show that change is possible with faith, support and determination.
Training body and mind Jon and Mike have been building towards the century ride with weekly mileage goals, trying to ride about 100 miles per week. Their training includes shorter rides of 20 to 40 miles and longer weekend rides. Their farthest ride so far was 73 miles, with plans to work up toward 80 to 85 miles before the event.
The planned route will include climbs before connecting with the trail near Cornell for a flatter stretch toward the end. Jon expects the ride to be challenging, especially after 60 or 70 miles, but said endurance will matter more than speed, and they plan to stop every 20 miles or so for breaks. Jon admits they are not professional riders, and they will be doing all of this on donated bikes, making the preparation even more meaningful. Spring Street Sports, Inc. of Chippewa Falls, stepped up in a big way by providing Mike with repairs and a tune-up, guaranteeing safety and reliability for the miles ahead.
Mike said preparing for the ride has required him to focus on details he once might have overlooked: food, breaks, training, hydration and pacing. The discipline of cycling, he said, has become a lesson in consistency, sacrifice and recognizing weaknesses and what to do better. “I enjoy obstacles because they're an opportunity to help me grow,” Mike said. Cycling as part of recovery.
Jon said he had covered thousands of miles on bicycles over the years, but alcoholism eventually took that away from him. At one point, he sold his last bike — a valuable one — to buy alcohol. Addiction left him isolated and unable to ride. Now, cycling has become part of Jon’s recovery. Being on the bike, he said, clears his mind, connects him with nature and creates space for prayer and conversation. For Mike, bike rides have also created space for honest conversations, self-reflection and accountability among the people he lives and trains with. Even when disagreements happen, he said, the shared activity has helped strengthen relationships.
Many of Mike’s firsts, he said, have happened through Hope Gospel: his first concert, his first time snowshoeing and his first time biking in the way he is now. Just as important were the first healthy, non-transactional relationships he experienced there, along with regular opportunities to grow his faith. Faith, surrender and a new direction. Both Jon and Mike said Hope Gospel Mission helped them experience recovery differently than they had before. Jon came to Hope after multiple attempts at rehab, saying other programs did not address the spiritual need at the center of his recovery. Although he had been raised in a Christian home, he said he had not cultivated his faith in a way that could sustain sobriety.
Jon said his substance use began early, even though he came from what he described as a loving, stable family. He started using nicotine around age 12, began drinking soon after and was smoking marijuana by 13. For years, he said, he did not fully understand what he was searching for, but he is now exploring those deeper questions in recovery. In adulthood, Jon said alcohol became a way to cope with emotions he had never learned to handle. After his
marriage ended, he spent a year raising his children on his own before returning to alcohol. After multiple attempts at rehab, he eventually found himself at the doors of Hope Gospel Mission. Jon was making progress in the Hope Gospel program when he received news of his father’s death last November. Ultimately, this led to relapse and leaving the program. Looking back, Jon said he had not yet learned how to handle grief or fully surrender his recovery. Since returning to Hope, he said God has been teaching him humility and patience.
Mike’s path to Hope Gospel Mission also included painful turns. He said struggles with alcohol and drug use escalated after he was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. A move to Wisconsin with his family was meant to create a fresh start, but he later realized that a change in surroundings alone was not enough. After a period marked by a dissolved marriage, homelessness, jail, hospital visits and time in prison, Mike said he made a decision with a clear mind: when he got out, he would go to Hope Gospel. He remembers reading about Hope Gospel’s program while in jail and realizing he had exhausted every other option. “I thought, I burned all my bridges,” Mike said. “Who could possibly help me at this point, now that I am willing?” At Hope, Mike said he found a place that kept him from returning to the same cycle of drugs, drinking and damaging environments. Since arriving, he said relationships with his family are on the mend, and he now has the opportunity to stop destructive patterns from continuing into the next generation. “Hope Gospel is a place for an individual that wants to change,” Mike said. Going the extra mile together.
As the ride approaches, both men said their motivation reaches beyond personal accomplishment. They hope the ride will help people see Hope Gospel Mission as a place where loved ones can find safety, structure, faith and a new direction. For Jon, the ride is a message to other men in the program: recovery can be a chance to step away from old patterns, serve others and use life for a greater purpose. For Mike, it is proof that change can happen when a person is placed in an environment that supports growth. “I’m just having faith that it’s working out,” Mike said. “It’s done miracles. I’m definitely grateful.”
Jon summed up the heart of the ride simply. “Let’s do something difficult to help each other,” he said. “Go an extra mile — pun intended”.
Jon said the idea began with a personal goal: he had always wanted to complete a century bike ride. As he grew stronger in recovery, the ride became something more. He began to see it as a way to honor God and bring awareness to Hope Gospel Mission. For Mike, the ride carries a similar significance. He said the opportunity represents a milestone that would not have been possible without the environment Hope Gospel provided. “If I didn’t get offered the opportunity to come here, I would never be in the environment that would allow me to do a century ride,” Mike said. “So, it’s pretty huge for me.”
Both men said the ride is also meant to encourage others facing addiction, homelessness or broken relationships. By doing something difficult together, they hope to show that change is possible with faith, support and determination.
Training body and mind Jon and Mike have been building towards the century ride with weekly mileage goals, trying to ride about 100 miles per week. Their training includes shorter rides of 20 to 40 miles and longer weekend rides. Their farthest ride so far was 73 miles, with plans to work up toward 80 to 85 miles before the event.
The planned route will include climbs before connecting with the trail near Cornell for a flatter stretch toward the end. Jon expects the ride to be challenging, especially after 60 or 70 miles, but said endurance will matter more than speed, and they plan to stop every 20 miles or so for breaks. Jon admits they are not professional riders, and they will be doing all of this on donated bikes, making the preparation even more meaningful. Spring Street Sports, Inc. of Chippewa Falls, stepped up in a big way by providing Mike with repairs and a tune-up, guaranteeing safety and reliability for the miles ahead.
Mike said preparing for the ride has required him to focus on details he once might have overlooked: food, breaks, training, hydration and pacing. The discipline of cycling, he said, has become a lesson in consistency, sacrifice and recognizing weaknesses and what to do better. “I enjoy obstacles because they're an opportunity to help me grow,” Mike said. Cycling as part of recovery.
Jon said he had covered thousands of miles on bicycles over the years, but alcoholism eventually took that away from him. At one point, he sold his last bike — a valuable one — to buy alcohol. Addiction left him isolated and unable to ride. Now, cycling has become part of Jon’s recovery. Being on the bike, he said, clears his mind, connects him with nature and creates space for prayer and conversation. For Mike, bike rides have also created space for honest conversations, self-reflection and accountability among the people he lives and trains with. Even when disagreements happen, he said, the shared activity has helped strengthen relationships.
Many of Mike’s firsts, he said, have happened through Hope Gospel: his first concert, his first time snowshoeing and his first time biking in the way he is now. Just as important were the first healthy, non-transactional relationships he experienced there, along with regular opportunities to grow his faith. Faith, surrender and a new direction. Both Jon and Mike said Hope Gospel Mission helped them experience recovery differently than they had before. Jon came to Hope after multiple attempts at rehab, saying other programs did not address the spiritual need at the center of his recovery. Although he had been raised in a Christian home, he said he had not cultivated his faith in a way that could sustain sobriety.
Jon said his substance use began early, even though he came from what he described as a loving, stable family. He started using nicotine around age 12, began drinking soon after and was smoking marijuana by 13. For years, he said, he did not fully understand what he was searching for, but he is now exploring those deeper questions in recovery. In adulthood, Jon said alcohol became a way to cope with emotions he had never learned to handle. After his
marriage ended, he spent a year raising his children on his own before returning to alcohol. After multiple attempts at rehab, he eventually found himself at the doors of Hope Gospel Mission. Jon was making progress in the Hope Gospel program when he received news of his father’s death last November. Ultimately, this led to relapse and leaving the program. Looking back, Jon said he had not yet learned how to handle grief or fully surrender his recovery. Since returning to Hope, he said God has been teaching him humility and patience.
Mike’s path to Hope Gospel Mission also included painful turns. He said struggles with alcohol and drug use escalated after he was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. A move to Wisconsin with his family was meant to create a fresh start, but he later realized that a change in surroundings alone was not enough. After a period marked by a dissolved marriage, homelessness, jail, hospital visits and time in prison, Mike said he made a decision with a clear mind: when he got out, he would go to Hope Gospel. He remembers reading about Hope Gospel’s program while in jail and realizing he had exhausted every other option. “I thought, I burned all my bridges,” Mike said. “Who could possibly help me at this point, now that I am willing?” At Hope, Mike said he found a place that kept him from returning to the same cycle of drugs, drinking and damaging environments. Since arriving, he said relationships with his family are on the mend, and he now has the opportunity to stop destructive patterns from continuing into the next generation. “Hope Gospel is a place for an individual that wants to change,” Mike said. Going the extra mile together.
As the ride approaches, both men said their motivation reaches beyond personal accomplishment. They hope the ride will help people see Hope Gospel Mission as a place where loved ones can find safety, structure, faith and a new direction. For Jon, the ride is a message to other men in the program: recovery can be a chance to step away from old patterns, serve others and use life for a greater purpose. For Mike, it is proof that change can happen when a person is placed in an environment that supports growth. “I’m just having faith that it’s working out,” Mike said. “It’s done miracles. I’m definitely grateful.”
Jon summed up the heart of the ride simply. “Let’s do something difficult to help each other,” he said. “Go an extra mile — pun intended”.