The Mission
You might ask, “Why bring JWST into the ride?” To me, the answer is obvious: it is a way to combine two things that I feel passionate about. I have given about a dozen public talks on JWST and they are always well-received. Most people find NASA, astronomy and telescopes fascinating! More people need to hear about this incredible instrument that is going to rewrite textbooks in the coming years.
Many people have bicycled around the world or embarked upon similar journeys. Earlier, I tried to answer “why” I want to ride around the world. It is a difficult question to answer because most people can’t relate to the idea of a year-long journey. But when I associate a central theme with the journey, it gives people something that they can relate to, and it gives me a reason to keep bicycling even when it gets hard. That’s why most people who go on adventures try to tie it to some other worthy cause. For example, Rick Hansen (http://www.rickhansen.com) rode around the world in a wheel chair to promote the World’s Fair and to raise money for people with disabilities. A friend of mine in Colorado, Rich Dixon, (http://www.richdixon.net) leads an annual bike ride across our state to raise awareness about the problem of human trafficking.
I am excited about JWST! I want other people to get excited too. Traveling by bicycle will generate a level of notoriety and interest that might not exist otherwise, and will draw people to my message. I will stop at local schools, colleges and communities to tell people about JWST. My plan is to give 1-2 presentations per week, with emphasis on the United States and Canada.