Columbus cyclist Mark Yeaton will face a literal uphill battle next month to raise awareness and money for those facing a figurative uphill battle.
Yeaton, always has been outspoken about the idea that Christian faith should be galvanized by concern for others and compassionate outreach. And that’s literally how he rolls.
The 58-year-old Southside Elementary School teacher has done bike trips to benefit everything from Columbus-based Christian ministry Mission Resource International to clean water for a Kenyan village.
Come July 25, he will ride for some 20 hours straight for a new cause: raising money for United Way of Bartholomew County’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, an effort helping struggling local residents who’ve lost jobs to get or keep such necessities as groceries and housing. Launched in mid-March, it has generated more than $600,000 for the cause.
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But Yeaton, who normally has raised money on rides ranging from 300 to 900 miles across the country, this time will follow a different format called Everesting. That refers to an ultra-cycling challenge in which a rider picks a hill and completes repeats of ascending and descending trips until the total climbing distance traveled equals 29,029 feet — the height of Mount Everest.
He has picked a one-mile-long ascending hill with an elevation gain of 258 feet near the Bartholomew-Brown County line on Beck’s Grove Road for the effort. He will climb and descend a total of 113 times, as best he can figure.
"I’ve ridden ultra distance races before, but never a ride like this," Yeaton said.
Yeaton is using that climb as a symbol amid the novel coronavirus pandemic that has stolen jobs, income and security from many Bartholomew County families.
"Everybody seems to be facing so much of an uphill struggle," Yeaton said.
Ideally, the cyclist aims to raise $29,000 to match the heights of his endeavor. United Way soon will have a donation button for the fundraiser on its web page at uwbarthco.org
Magen Pillar, United Way’s communications director, was pleased to hear of Yeaton’s interest in raising funds and awareness.
"We are incredibly grateful to our community members like Mark who are finding creative ways to support our community and our COVID-19 Relief Fund," Pillar said. "The effects of COVID-19 will be felt in our community for a long time and we appreciate Mark bringing awareness to the need in his summer event."
To put Yeaton’s longtime cycling enthusiasm into perspective, recognize that it slightly runs in the family. His mother, Dot Yeaton, 82, still bikes several times per week near her home. And a few years ago, she had to be talked out of buying a new motorcycle by relatives.
"She’s one of my greatest supporters," Yeaton said of his mom.
Ask Yeaton why he supports so many causes with his pedaling and he will offer the most straightforward answer that he can muster.
"Look — when you see a need and have a clear way to help people, why would you NOT want to do something?" Yeaton asked. "There are a lot of people out there right now who don’t currently know what their future holds."
That includes a brother who just lost his job.
"I think some people are going to need some sense of relief for quite a while," Yeaton said. "Some people no longer have a job to even go back to. If a lot of people are in a position to help just a little bit, it can go a long way."
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What: Columbus cyclist Mark Yeaton’s ultra-cycling Everesting fundraiser climb July 25 climbing a steep, mile-long hill 113 times to equal the total of Mount Everest’s 29,029 feet.
When: 6 a.m. July 25.
Where: Becks Grove Road near the Bartholomew-Brown County line.
Why: To raise money for United Way of Bartholomew County’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Information: uwbarthco.org
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