Man on 1,500-mile bike journey passes through Blytheville

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. -- Rich Dixon rolled through Blytheville last week on a 1,500-mile bike ride from Minnesota to Louisiana.

The distance of his trip, however, does not begin to describe the weight of his journey.

In December 1987, former math teacher Rich Dixon fell off the roof of his home in Fort Collins, Colo. The fall left Dixon paralyzed from the chest down. After struggling for more than a decade with the idea that his life was hopeless, Dixon made the determination to turn his tragic story into one of hope and inspiration.

"This story is about hope, which everyone needs regardless of their physical abilities," Dixon said. "It's about possibilities and overcoming adversity. It's about discovering that life has meaning."

Dixon said his message is simple, give hope another chance. He hopes to spread the message of God's unending hope in hopeless situations.

After a few years of motivational speaking and writing, Dixon took up hand-cycling. He would always set and achieve relatively reasonable goals, but he had the desire to do something bigger.

"This had been a personal dream of mine. I started riding in 1999 and had always set mileage goals, but I also wanted to do a long-distance ride," Dixon said.

As Dixon began to plan his trip, people started coming to him with ways that he could make this more than just a personal achievement. Dixon teamed up with Convoy of Hope.

Convoy of Hope aids during times of natural disasters, like the recent tornadoes that hit Joplin, as well as helping to feed more than 100,000 children through feeding initiatives.

For more information on Rich's Ride or to make donations visit his website richsride.org.