When Miguel Guerrero, a teammate at Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Duluth, sets his mind on something, there is no turning back…even if that task is a 250-mile bike ride!
“Earlier this year, after my November 2021 ride crossing Florida east to west, I got the idea to bike 250 miles from Boca Raton to Key West. I started talking to our General Sales Manager, Sean, and our GM, Tafi, and they both thought it would be a great idea to incorporate our partner food bank, Southeast Gwinnett Co-op, into my ride,” shared Miguel.
It was at that point that Miguel’s one-of-a-kind journey began.
The avid cyclist began preparing and training to bike 250 miles along the Florida coastline while raising money and awareness for this crucial community partner. After announcing his plans to raise and donate money to Southeast Gwinnett Co-op to his Hendrick teammates, friends, and family, the support started pouring in.
After months of training and logistics planning for his 250-mile route, Guerrero and his training partner, George, finally hit the road. But this trek turned out to be a difficult feat in more ways than one.
The hot Florida sun, dangerous rush-hour traffic in Miami, and an encounter with a tropical storm hitting Key West were some of the challenges Guerrero faced on his expedition.
“I have done many long races before, but this was by far my most challenging. Even when I had my riding buddy, George, right next to me, the trials we faced were ones I had to tackle on my own. I had to put in my headphones and become one with my bike, as that was the only way I was going to get through,” said Guerrero.
Each day, Guerrero and George rode up to 88 miles to get one step closer to their final destination: crossing the bridge to beautiful Key West.
They would take pit stops at gas stations, fill up their water bottles, and get back on the road to make sure they could reach their hotel each night in time for dinner and plenty of rest.
“There were some days, especially under these weather circumstances, that it was all we could do to finish. The day of the tropical storm, my hands were bright red and my fingers were pruned, just from trying to maintain my grip in the torrential downpour and 24 mile-per-hour winds,” Guerrero shared.
After four days, Guerrero and George finally reached their last stop…well, almost.
“Because of the tropical storm, the bridge to get into Key West was closed, so technically, we only rode 210 miles before we had to pack up and go home.”
However, there was no way Guerrero could consider this ride anything other than a success. With his entire team at Hendrick cheering him on and more than $4,500 raised for Southeast Gwinnett Co-op, Guerrero arrived home with a huge smile on his face.
“When I arrived back at the dealership following my journey, I received a standing ovation. At that point, it wasn’t about 250 miles; it was about the support I received to get me through this challenge.”
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