‘Shift: The RAGBRAI Documentary’ at the 4th May Summit: Meet the subjects featured in the film
Buffalo Lodge bicycle resort concierges can always tell when a guest from Iowa has checked into the hotel.
Every time an IA zip code pops up, owner Torie Giffin panics and whips her phone. As a long-time RAGBRAI fan and rider, he got the stories of Iowa swapped and brought pictures to the page and all the love for a state that never had an address but feels so deeply attached to his self-image.
“RAGBRAI is a way of making the world smaller and bigger at the same time,” he says.
Riders are bound for more than seven days, unless they are a group. But the collective spirit of pure laughter — and the way participants wrestle with their personal “whys” for their lives to hold on and cook in the July heat — makes for as much of an annual commemoration as we all have. in common
Tory Giffin
country Colorado Springs, ColoradoTorie’s story: Torie first rode RAGBRAI in 1999 as a 30-something year old soaking up the Iowa sun. After more than two decades of her return, she had been married and divorced, she became a mother three times and in the process of her youngest son Daniel’s brain storm diagnosis of brain cancer. Heading to the 2021 ride in the last few days after a round of chemotherapy, Daniel and his mother wanted to make the journey, perhaps the last journey together, as it is possible to affirm life. But when a comment from a certain rider about Daniel’s bike threatened to ruin his vacation, Iowans responded with tremendous kindness that wouldn’t just change his seven-day adventure, it would change his entire life.
What stuck with you from RAGBRAI ’99 that made you want to come back?When I first saw families riding RAGBRAI in my hometown together, I dreamed of having my family one day participate in this race, and it was so amazing that it took two years to realize. It meant the world to me that my mother and daughter rode together last year. They really wanted to experience what Daniel would ride in 2021, and it would be a part, in a small way, of what Iowa wanted for us and what Iowa had done for Daniel.
What does that part of the mail mean?The whole reason I wanted to be vulnerable and be on camera was to explain Daniel’s story and inspire other people with hope. I wanted to make sure I found a story with enough heart to change someone’s opinion about e-bikes or change someone’s thinking that they can’t do it themselves.
a year already enough to stay at the houses of the groups. One night after we had all gone to bed, I listened scratch, scratch, scratch in my tent and my daughter is like twenty years old, “Do you want to go see the band?” And we snuck out of our camp like we were kids and went to a concert and had the best time ever.
Are you coming back this year?Forks! We were looking forward to this year on the first day of next year.
Adam Lineberry
country; Mobile, AlabamaThe story of Adam: Adam is a recovering opioid addict who is cycling through all 48 contiguous states to raise awareness for the recovery approach while fundraising to eventually build a Christian-focused rehab center. From the first season of RAGBRAI Praise, Adam rode with his son Liam, 10. He imagines a stronger relationship than can be imagined, the pair have overcome mental and physical challenges, which they say, and figures they will continue in the paint for a long time.
Liam turned 10 in RAGBRAI last year. What has he done so far?Liam is in fifth grade. He was noted in his schools and archery. Let’s take the Alabama Championships with arrows. It was well done; he’s got the mind for it.
When you think of RAGBRAI, what word sticks with you?camaraderie Just a chance to go out there with 20,000 people, and that we all became a brother and sister of people united on a bicycle. It remains because many people are all focused on one at the same time, although we all act separately. It is like gold, absolutely priceless.
What do you know about yourself post-RAGBRAI that you didn’t know before?I know that he is a more encouraging father, and a more loving friend. I think I found more grace a week with my father looking better.
If you look at the story of RAGBRAI as a story, what is the moral of the story?A happy ending does not have an ending. Another happy ending this summer can be at 50 and another happy ending at 51 and 52. As far as the story goes, I think “ending” is a really bad word. Happy is the beginning.
More:What to know about RAGBRAI’s 2023 starting, finishing and overnight towns
Ian Zahren and Andrew Boddicker
country; Lansing, IowaThe story of Ian and Andrew; Andrew and Ian live and work together in the community of Lansing, a village of about 800 people in northern Iowa. Last summer, they co-chaired the Lansing RAGBRAI project, which planned and practiced the immersion and final day. of ride Over nearly a year of planning, energy and joy in small towns to try to deploy their great success not only in their relationship, but also in their commitment to rural America.
When you think of RAGBRAI, what comes to mind?Andrew: Proven (laughs). But, let me assure you, we really have to prove that not only can we do much, but also that we are stronger when we work on things together. This is of course true with RAGBRAI, but because RAGBRAI is many things at once and many things at once and it continues to be a proven success.
What does that part of the mail mean?Ian: I’ve been a teacher most of my life, so I wasn’t uncomfortable with the idea of having a close-up camera. But I think what’s really exciting is that you’ve shown these communities and people because we’re in a lot of culture that’s known as flyover country, and we don’t pay much attention to people or places like this. It’s just really nice to shine from the arc in a wonderful, magical place that can be “land flyover”.
We’ll explore this on the boards, but how has RAGBRAI affected your meeting?Ian: We took a lot of the money we were able to raise through RAGBRAI and distributed $12,000 of the profits to other non-profits in our city: our schools, our churches, state government, police, fire. We could really enhance the services and what it means to live in this community. We also took some of that money and started a giant community initiative to draft a 10-year vision for our town.
