DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, FL — 26 cyclists completed a 940-mile journey across Florida on Saturday, finishing their 14-day ride at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee.
The group, known as the Gear Up Florida team, began their ride at Florida International University in Miami and traveled North to raise awareness for Floridians with disabilities.
"We start at FIU in Miami, and we bike ride 900 miles up to here to Tallahassee...with the aim of raising awareness for people with disabilities, more specifically Floridians with disabilities," JJ Sanabria, an Ability Experience staff member, said.
Organizers with The Ability Experience say the ride goes beyond awareness. They say many individuals with disabilities living in long-term care facilities may not regularly interact with new visitors or outside communities, making moments of connection especially meaningful.
"The cycling's just a small fraction of it. The big, main, important mission that we're supposed to carry is just, like, to bring joy to those that are maybe less fortunate than us or maybe in need," Aiden Iverson, cyclist, said.
Throughout the ride, cyclists stopped at disability service facilities across Florida, including the ARC in North Florida, for what they call friendship visits, spending time with residents through conversations, games, and dance parties.
"Them sharing their stories with us and us sharing ours with them, as if we were just having normal interaction, pretty much," Iverson said.
Riders say those visits help shift the focus from disability to relationship, dignity, and inclusion.
"When we show up, it's just treating them like the people that they are. At the end of the day, they are people. They feel like us, they laugh like us, they care like us," Sanabria said.
The Gear Up Florida ride has taken place every year for nearly 30 years. Organizers say this year's team raised more than $140,000 to support disability-related programs across Florida.
Organizers say the ride ends in Tallahassee each year, since the Capitol is a place where conversations around accessibility and advocacy can reach state leaders. They hope those conversations will inspire lasting change.
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