Read about us and let us know if you want to join us on our way to the coast. We'd love to have you!
This is the story of Jesse Murphy and Daniel Finney's bicycle journey across the United States. In an effort to make a difference and offer their support to their hometown, these two adventurous young men decided to dedicate their journey to Graceworks Ministries (www.graceworksministries.net) because of the organizations efforts to rebuild Nashville in the aftermath of the floods of this past spring.
Follow Jesse and Finney as they make their way to the west coast to raise funds, spread awareness, and, in a lot of ways, learn a thing or two about themselves and about our country.
Also, stay tuned for the feature length documentary of this event, which is being produced by Institution One (www.institutionone.com) and will be released sometime next year.
The Riders:
Jesse Murphy Jesse Murphy was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1987. He attended Franklin Road Academy from Kindergarten through high school. He graduated from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in 2010 with a minor in classical guitar from the Meadows School of the Arts and a 3.65 GPA. Murphy was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and competed in the Mr. SMU bodybuilding competition two years in a row, taking first place in the event his senior year.
Jesse has always been an athlete and a competitor who always pushes himself to the limit. He takes great pride in his audacity and in High School, despite many injuries, he managed to become a two time Academic All-American in Tennessee High School wrestling.
Jesse on Biking America:
After graduating college, I wanted to do something different than just jumping straight into a career. I want to go on an adventure and test myself to see what I can do and what I can learn along the way.
The main reason I wanted to do this was for the experience. I want to see the country, meet people, and be free. I am going to live one day at a time.
This will also be a chance to help some people out and do some good. I think it could be a life changing experience.
Daniel Finney
Begotten from a lightning bolt, the undeniable presence that is Daniel Finney was cast onto this world on April 4, 1987 after much anticipation. For thirteen years he graced the University School of Nashville with his attendance, while spending most of his free time on various outdoor treks and soul-seeking adventures. By age 13, Finney was already an accomplished mountain bike racer, by age 15, a daring whitewater kayaker, and at age 17 he was captain of his high school Ultimate Frisbee team. Once he went away to college he was able to allocate even more of his time to his adventures. Broadening his spectrum, Finney spread his spirited aura across the globe—Ice climbing in New Zealand, Surfing at Punta de Lobos, and Polo in Argentina are among his long list of personal feats.
But in all seriousness, the tragedies occurred in Nashville this past spring affected him greatly and in observing the resilience and camaraderie of his fellow Tennesseans, he acquired a new perspective on selflessness. Therefore, he set out to help his hometown by undertaking this adventure.
Daniel Finney on biking America:
“Sounded like a good idea.”
Ryan Pierce
Pierce's roots stem from the small town of Dalton, Ohio. He grew up in the woods, perpetually seeking whatever adventure life had to offer next. His passion for expedition came from his childhood, when his parents would take him camping and give him the opportunity to explore the unknown. He recalls, from his younger years, how he used to pack up a boat and tell his mother that he was going exploring as he made his way down to the dock with a broken paddle.
Throughout his lifetime, Pierce has been involved in a wide array of hobbies and physical activities, including mountain biking, back-packing, fishing, and hunting. In his spare time he also welds to satiate his desire to create and work with his hands.
Pierce loves using his God-given talent and strength and constantly strives to develop it to meet any goal or realize any dream that he may have.
Pierce on Biking America:
As if driven by a personal sense of Manifest Destiny, it's Pierce's fascination for the Western United States, along with a desire to benefit others, while living out his dreams that motivated him to take on this journey.
In his own words, "to sit back in Ohio and say that I was going to bike across the Western United States, besides other people thinking I'm crazy, I never thought that I would be able to do it myself. But I am going to do it."