Marilyn Thompson (sister of Rebecca Magalhães, LLLI’s Director of Action and Development) was an LLL Leader from 1972 to 1977 in Minnesota. She also was a medical liaison (now called professional liaison) in her state. At the time of this interview, Marilyn was a training consultant with Dale Carnegie. In the summer of 1998, this mother of two grown sons took a 48-day bike trip across the USA, from Seattle, Washington to Washington, D.C.
What made you decide to go on a cross country bike trip?
During the bicentennial of the USA, my husband Bob and I took our sons on a camping trip out west. There were a lot of bicyclists on the roads that year and I would say to Bob, “Wouldn't that be great to do that?” He would reply, “No.” But evidently that thought stayed with me.
I participated in some three-day rides for the American Lung Association and in the summer of 1997 found out that the ALA was planning a cross country ride as a fundraiser the next summer. The wheels started churning. Every time I thought about it I got so excited. I was committed to making the trip; I just had to figure out a way to tell my husband that I was going to be gone for six weeks…
I had to do two main things: raise a minimum of $6,000 for the ALA and train. I started in November -- eight months before the trip -- with weight lifting, step aerobics, and a stationery bike. I got up at 5:00 a.m. to exercise for an hour. Having a goal definitely made a difference in exercising.
An unexpected benefit of my preparation was that a couple of women changed their idea of exercise because of my goal. While they didn't feel they had to do the same thing, they were inspired to do more than they thought they could. That meant a great deal to me.
In January I began to raise funds. I sent a letter out to everyone I knew. People got a letter even if we were at the same social function. I carried them everywhere. At one dinner, I gave a letter to a couple that we knew, but would consider acquaintances rather than friends. They sent in $250 and when I asked why, they told me that their 10-month-old granddaughter had already been hospitalized with asthma. I asked to have her name on my dogtag as my ride partner.
I was very touched by the people who donated to the ALA because of my request. Many people said, "If you can do this, I can contribute." By June I had raised $13,000 for the ALA.
On June 15, 730 riders left the Seattle Kingdome heading for Washington, D.C. It was the largest cross country bike ride in the history of the United States. The first day was one of the toughest with a 3,000 foot climb over the Cascades. Besides that, the day turned rainy and cold. Some riders even went to the hospital with hypothermia. I was so excited to make it to camp even though I was freezing. It was quite a start to a 6 week long ride.
There were 10 riders from Minnesota and we had great support from the local ALA. Because of that we had the opportunity to get to know one another. We all signed up for tent sites together and there were many times when I got into camp after they did (they were all younger and faster than me) someone would have pulled my gear bag over to the tent site.
We camped all across America. Mostly we stayed in schoolgrounds, local fairgrounds or parks. We needed quite a lot of space because there were about 900 tents and 60 trucks.
The trucks were provided by "OK Cascade," a company that provides services to major fires or disasters. They had everything we needed to be a moving town across the country. The showers were hot and the meals were good and plentiful. (It's amazing how much you can eat -- and need to eat -- when you're biking an average of 80 miles every day.)
Camping proved to be something I loved -- not getting everything set up, sometimes that was a real drag at the end of a day of biking -- but I totally loved the experience of being outside for six weeks.
My favorite camping experience was in Miller, South Dakota. The night before, we stayed in a field that had just been cut so there was all this sharp stubble. To make it worse, the field was infested with little grasshoppers that got into everything! When I rode into the camp in Miller the next afternoon, it was this beautiful city park with flowers, grass, and a little pond.
The people in Miller were as wonderful as our setting. When I started walking to the town's laundromat, a young man came by in his car and asked if I wanted a ride. He had a sign on his car that said, "We help bikers," and played in the high school jazz band that entertained us that night. While in a store, a young woman asked me if she could take my picture. They extended such a warm and memorable welcome.
One of the common questions I’m asked is if I ever wanted to quit. No, I didn't want to quit, but sometimes I didn't want to get back on my bike. One day I really didn't feel like riding and it turned out to be a great day. We were in Ohio, the roads were flat, there was a tailwind and we rode on these great county roads through the farmlands. The highlight of the day were the little red-haired children in the farmyard by the roadside. One of the boys called out, "We've got red kool-aid and we've got free candy and we've got kittens!" Who could resist an offer like that?
Sometimes when someone would be by the side of the road offering water, it was just the break we needed. In the West on a hot day, there was a young boy by the side of the road. He had ridden out from a little town on his bicycle with a little cooler with ice in it. He'd give the riders a few pieces to put in our water bottles and then go home and get some more ice. When I thanked him for what he was doing, he said, "Oh, you’re doing so much more!" I like to think that we inspired some people to reach for their dreams too.
I really had great support from family and friends. My husband was very positive about the trip, but it turned out to be very hard on him. While I was off having an adventure, he was home doing all the regular things we do, alone.
It truly was a life changing experience. Some of what I learned was to focus, to stay present. I don't go off in some other place. Have you ever been driving and wondered to yourself if you stopped at the last stop sign? That's what I mean by being present.
I also learned better than ever before about setting goals and taking them one step at a time. No matter how many miles there were to bike, or what the terrain, I had clear goals to reach throughout the day: pit stop, lunch stop, tourist site or camp. Today, if I'm facing something tough or uncomfortable to do, I remind myself that if I could get back on that bike every day, I can do whatever I'm facing.
Since the trip, my girlfriend and I biked from Minneapolis to my parents' farm in Illinois. (That was another adventure!) Bob and I have biked in France and we have plans for another bike trip there next fall.
I would say that everything goes into making me and molding me into the person I have become and am becoming. In my League days, I was not very sure of myself and League gave me the beginnings of a person who is willing to believe in something and stand up for it._________________________________________________
This interview first appeared in Continuum, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1999
