New Jersey native 58-year-old William Galloway says he’s encountered a lot of good and a lot of bad in his nearly three years crossing the country on his specially-equipped recumbent bicycle.
But more than 20,000 miles and nearly seven cross country trips into his one-man mission, Galloway says it’s hope and faith in the kindness of others that keeps him pedaling away.
Nearly 15 years ago, Galloway was hit by a drunk driver in his native New Jersey while cycling, and suffered a traumatic brain injury which has caused him seizures, severed headaches, memory issues and other mental health issues that have made it difficult for him to find work since the accident. A scar on the right side of his head demonstrates where doctors removed part of his skull after the accident.
For years, he said, he relied on assisted living, group homes and government assistance. As he recovered, he wanted more from life than just getting by on those things, and felt like he could do better.
In October 2017, he set out on a mission both to get himself help and to bring awareness to others with traumatic brain injuries. He hopped on a specialized bike in his native New Jersey and headed for Amen Clinics in Costa Mesa, Calif., where he was offered help dealing with his injuries.
Once he got to California, though, he observed the homeless population, and how many of the clinics were backed up with years-long waiting lists. They wanted to keep him in homeless shelters until they could get him in, and Galloway said he did not want to live life like that. He wanted more. So, he decided to continue his cross-country journey, seeking help for his injury, and along the way telling his story of hope and determination.
Over the course of almost three years, that journey has taken him a lot of places.
There is not a lot that slows him down, either. Galloway said he has ridden both day and night, and in all kinds of weather. He recalls times of falling asleep in his bike and waking up surrounded by two feet of snow. He said nights in a hotel like he experienced in Great Bend Tuesday night are a rarity. He often sleeps in a bike specially designed to accommodate the effects of his injuries.
Because he suffers frequent seizures as a result of the injury, the bike is designed so his head and body are safely supported in the event one occurs while he is riding.
Though his ability to continue on his journey is often dependent on the generosity of strangers, his goal is not dependence, but independence - to show it is possible to overcome a difficult brain injury and support himself, living a full, productive life. He has experienced a great deal of kindness and generosity which have kept his journey going, from funds, to meals, to help repairing his bike, which he said is key to keeping the journey going, but in effort to provide for himself, he often takes odd jobs in towns where he stops in order to earn funds meet his needs.
His experiences on the journey have not all been good. He recalls times where people have tried to steal his bike or his equipment, and times where people have treated him with suspicion or mistrust, but overwhelmingly what sticks with him the most are the countless encounters with the kindness of strangers. Those encounters, he said, give him the faith and hope to keep pushing ahead.
Ultimately, he wants to find a steady job that will work with his disability, and a place to call home, but finding that has been difficult with a long period with no job history. Until he is able to find that, he says, he is going to keep on going with his bike as his home.
The journey, in itself, has already help him overcome a lot of the mental and emotional effects of his injury. What’s left is a determination to persevere until he reaches his goal.
“I put a lot of faith in what I do, a lot of hope,” Galloway said. “If I give up on that, then there’s nothing else to look forward to for me.”
If people want to help, he said, he can be found on Facebook, or donations can be made at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/williamg799.
