A traumatic brain injury 25 years ago changed the trajectory of Scot Benton’s life, inspiring him to bring some of that change to lives in his community through the means of a less common mode of transportation: bikes.
Not owning a car since his accident, Benton bikes everywhere. But in May, he took his biking habits to new distances during National Bike Month to raise money for his nonprofit Bicycle House .
Up against 405,143 other cyclists, Benton, a Tallahassee native, is ranked first among cyclists around the world who are competing through Strava, an app that connects millions of cyclists, runners and hikers. Although the challenge only required participants to bike roughly 776 miles, Benton was on track to complete 5,000 miles as of Wednesday.
His mission to help people who do not have transportation motivated him to go above and beyond the challenge’s goal. By participating in the challenge, Benton has raised at least $10,000 for Bicycle House from people pledging different dollar amounts for every mile he biked, he said.
“I don’t do it to save the planet,” Benton said. “I care about mobilizing people.”
He and his partner, Cassie McGlynn, started the volunteer-run foundation 13 years ago. They provide about 500 bikes a year to people alongside doing bike repairs and bike loans for those who cannot afford to buy expensive bikes, Benton said.
Related Story: Bicycle House in Tallahassee helps those in need of two-wheeled transportation Benton has participated in the May Cycling Distance Challenge for the last four […]
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