Plenty of people put their blood, sweat and tears into charity work, and for Braxten Martin, who is entering his senior year at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, there may be a little more sweat in that equation.
Martin is nearing the end of a cross-country cycling trip to support people with disabilities as part of the Ability Experience’s Journey of Hope.
“Seeing the smiles on everybody’s faces is a big reward,” he said. “A life lesson that I’ve learned from this is I have a lot more will and drive than I thought, and that includes everybody else [on the trip].”
The Ability Experience is a philanthropic initiative of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, for which he is third-term philanthropy chair. The goal of the Ability Experience is to help people of all ages who have mental and physical disabilities.
The route Martin is taking for Journey of Hope, a national fundraising event, will take him on a trip of more than 4,300 miles from Seattle to Washington, D.C. His group set out June 5 and will arrive in Washington, D.C., Aug. 10.
Martin said it is “a little scary to think the trip is almost over.”
“It’s been amazing, doing the friendship visits and seeing the smiles that we put on people’s faces,” he said. “For them, they rank up there with Christmas.”
During the friendship visits, the cyclists meet the people assisted by the program at disability centers and parks to share a meal and engage in fun activities such as water gun fights, dance parties and shaving cream battles.
Martin is one of 20 cyclists on the trip, he said, and he is the first Arkansan to participate in the Journey of Hope. He is the third Arkansan to participate in a national Ability Experience event, the first two having completed a two-week trip across Florida, he added.
The cyclists average about 75 miles a day, he said, adding that he is new to cycling.
“In fact, most of my training was on a stationary bike, which made this trip very difficult in the beginning,” he said, “but I’m starting to catch up and be a more efficient cyclist.”
Becoming proficient with clip-in pedals and cycling with a group to create an effective paceline is essential to cycling across the country, but the most important aspect is to have fun, he said.
“If y’all have fun, communicate, good paceline, the day’s going to go by quicker,” he said. “The miles, you won’t even see them go by.”
Although he is the only Arkansan on the trip, he said he has made “lifelong friendships” with the other cyclists. He added that he quit his job so that he could complete the journey.
“When you’re a third-term philanthropy chair, you build a love for the cause, and one of the best ways to do something that you’re not sure about at all is to jump in and do it,” he said. “I signed up, and there was no going back [at] that point in time.”
Not many people know about the Ability Experience in Arkansas, he said, adding that his chapter of Pi Kappa Phi only has a few members and is five hours from the closest chapter. He said he would like to raise more awareness about the Ability Experience and its mission.
“Braxten is very engaged with his fraternity and the broader campus community,” said Dave Stevens, associate vice chancellor and dean of students. “He has a big heart and always wants to help others.”
Although the journey will be challenging, Stevens added, he is excited for Martin and expects him to “grow tremendously” from the experience.
“I am proud of him, and I believe UAFS is proud of him,” Stevens said. “I believe students should challenge themselves, get out of their comfort zone and do hard things. I also strongly believe they should say yes to these great kinds of experiences because they have tremendous value. Braxten is setting a great example for his peers.”
Martin has already met his fundraising minimum, but he hopes to be the participant who raises the most money, which will win him the honor of being the first to ride into Washington, D.C., and help put the Arkansas chapter of Pi Kappa Phi on the map.
“Any donations help,” he said. “I’m about $10,000 away from beating the top guy. I’ve been told it’s a possibility, but as the days go on, the chances are slimmer and slimmer, so I need everybody’s support. I’m the first from Arkansas. It would be nice to show everybody that we can pull together and do something grand for other people.”
Visit Martin’s fundraising page on the Ability Experience website to donate. Martin is also seeking sponsors for next year’s event. For sponsorship information, text Martin at 479-438-2578.
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