TRAINING TUESDAY: “CAUSE THE EFFECT” KARA'S STORY

A solo mission. Across the country. Forty-eight states on a bike. Riding almost 100 miles per day. 13,500 miles when the journey is over. All to Cause the Effect.

This Training Tuesday I want to highlight the courageous journey of a close friend of mine Kara Borel. She is currently biking across the country in an effort to inspire others to become selfless and cause the effect in someone else's life. Her spirit is remarkable, and a true testament to the fact that most large athletic endeavors are 90% mental.

Kara's journey really began before June 27^th when she started in Augusta, Maine. In 2009 Kara, she lost her godmother and cousin to illness. She began to reflect inward and she realized she had to stop blaming others and begin to be the change she wanted to see. Her journey is not just about her, it is about doing something bigger to effect change. Kara hopes to raise 1 cent for every U.S citizen 3.2 million dollars that will benefit various charities.

She is not a professional cyclist. She is just a girl on a mission. Waking up everyday at 4 a.m to bike anywhere from 75 to 110 miles per day. She carries with her a backpack with her laptop, two ipods and a bible. Everyday I think about what Kara is doing and it brings a tear to my eye. She inspires me to further complete my goals. Words can not express how proud I am of her. She currently has made it to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Paparoxi caught up with Kara to ask her a few questions about her journey:

The loss of your family members was the catalyst for starting your bike ride, how do you anticipate you will be different after this experience is over?

Mentally I will be a much stronger person. Everyone keeps asking how my body is holding up, but honestly that's the easy part. This ride is very trying mentally when you think about where you are, how far you've gone, how far you still have to go all the while it's in the back of your mind that you have to wake up and do it again the next day. This is a prime example of something being 90% mental and 10% physical.

What are some of the things you think about while you are on the road?

When I ride through certain areas whether it be urban or country I often think about the people there and their stories. I often wonder if they had to tell their story, what it would entail. Outside of that I think about my family, my friends and the future.

What is your biggest obstacle/fear that you have being out there and how do you conquer it?

Honestly I can not say that I have been fearful instead I've just been faithful. My faith has kept my thoughts positive. But, my biggest obstacle thus far has been the heat. I planned this route trying to avoid the northern states in the winter but much to my chagrin, the heat has been the killer. To deal with that, some days I have to shorten the amount of miles I ride, I have had alter the time in which I ride, I took your advice and got a water bladder and I just try to stay as hydrated as much as possible.

How do you stay focused and encouraged everyday?

To stay focused I pray a lot and read my bible. I find that whether it was a good day of riding or a bad day, keeping my faith is what refuels me to do it all over again. I find that my encouragement comes constantly reminding myself of the purpose of the ride. I think about my lost loved ones and they are more than enough to remind me that no matter what is going on that I will be alright and get through the day. I also call on two of my best friends to vent as I have found that one can not always carry the load alone.

Ok here is a practical question, how do you get clean clothes? What happens in the rain?

Whatever clothes I have with me at the time, I’ll wash when I stay over with someone, I’ll go to a laundromat or I’ll hand wash some items at times. I'm not able to carry much with me so I'm forced to re-wear my clothes. When it rains, I put on my rain jacket and keep going. I've only got caught in the rain once thus far. But if lightening strikes I will plan to seek shelter as that is one force of mother nature I do not plan to challenge.

 Have you mapped out the whole route?

Yes, I have mapped out every stop from Maine to Washington state. I take it one day at a time, because completing each day is one step closer to the finish line.

Do you ride on the highway?

I can not ride on interstates but some US highways I can ride on. To direct me, I have bike GPS and I honestly just follow where it tells me to go.

Any advice to anyone out there who was like you, and wants to change their lives?

To anyone who wants to change any aspect of their life, my advice is simple...do for others. No good deed goes unnoticed and good karma goes full circle. No matter how big or small that deed may be, I encourage one to remember the sky is NOT the limit, because if it were, there wouldn't be footprints on the moon!

FOOD: HEALTHY COCONUT MUSHROOM SOUP

SPIRIT: "COMMENCE"

PAPAPROXI.COM: COMMENCE! from Paparoxi on Vimeo.

ROXI: STARRENE RHETT

PAPAROXI.COM: ROXI "STAR" from Paparoxi on Vimeo.

The theme here at Paparoxi is to feature people who are pursing their passions and following their dreams. This month’s Roxi Starrene Rhett is a living example of how ones happiness is directly tied to their pursuit of passion. New York City native Star is a successful journalist and blogger. She has interviewed the likes of Wesley snipes, Robert Dinero, Felicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, Ice Cube, Kiki Palmer and the list goes on. She founded a wildly successful blog called “Gangstarrgirl” and she currently is the online Editor for Vibe.com and is a contributor to XXL, Juicy and Vibe magazines. Still so early in her career, Star has overcome the road blocks presented by such a volatile and changing industry and she continues on her path to success. One of the things I admire most about Star is her sincerity and humility. She is a really warm person with and infectious smile and it was awesome to be around her.

Website: http://gangstarrgirl.com/

Twitter: Twitter.com/GangStarrGirl

Email: GangStarrGirl@Gmail.com

Why are you a Roxi?

 I am a Roxi because I'm resilient and I don't give up. That sounds very cliche but it's true. So many people never pursue their passion because they are afraid or because they don't see the results they'd like when they'd like but I know that it's important for me to be happy. Happiness is actually more important than money, which is why I'm still pursuing my passion. There's nothing better than feeling fulfilled because you are doing what you love.

What is your favorite food?

I'm such a foodie so I can't just say one thing but I guess if I absolutely had to choose I'd say coal oven pizza specifically from a place in Brooklyn called DeFara's. BEST. PIZZA. EVER. Other than that, spiciness rocks my world.

When did you realize your purpose in life?

 I think our purpose can change and I think that we serve several purposes. For a long time I was searching for my purpose in life--that one thing that I was meant to do but I never found it and I drove myself crazy looking for it. Now I realize that it can be multiple things whether you touch one person's life or several. I came to that realization a couple of months ago. Hope that makes sense.

What is your favorite song?

 That's another one. I don't have one favorite song but the one out of several that popped up automatically is LL Cool J's "Around the Way Girl." There are so many good memories from childhood attached to that song. Plus, it's just a feel good tune. Where I'm from (I grew up in Harlem), being what LL described in the song as a 'round the way girl' was a huge honor because it meant that she was down-to-Earth and Fly but also worldly and knew a little bit about a lot. Sadly, women just don't get that same respect from men in hip-hop nowadays.

What was the hardest thing you have ever had to do?

 Again, there's not just one hardest thing but I think letting go of relationships is hard. In this case I'm talking about getting rid of toxic people in your life. Sometimes the people who were once friends change and you get to a place where you have to re-evaluate what their place is in your life. If the negative outweigh the positive then you have to learn to let go. A lot of times we get sold this notion that friends or a boyfriend are forever but that's simply not always true.

What is your favorite thing to wear?

I love wearing rompers and pants jumpers. Think,1970's style like Pam Grier in Foxy Brown.

What Legacy do you want to leave?

 I just want people to know that I was genuine, humble and that I did the best with what I had. 

SPIRIT: "TATTIMONY"

PAPAROXI.COM: "TATTIMONY" from Paparoxi on Vimeo.