1,338 miles down — 1,791 to go

May 19, 2012 is day 35 of the journey! Follow every pedal of the adventure on the Stephan Challenge blog.

Shattering Expectations

In 2007, something went terribly wrong with Mark Stephan’s bike during a weekend bike ride.  His front wheel unexpectedly disengaged from the bicycle, catapulting Mark over the handlebars and onto the ground.  His head hit the pavement at full force.  That moment changed Mark’s life forever: he became paralyzed from the neck down. 

Being a quadriplegic hasn’t stopped him for a moment.  Just two years after his accident — shattering all expectations — he climbed 103 flights of stairs to the top of the tallest building in North America.

Now Mark has embarked on his biggest physical challenge yet: a 3,129-mile bike ride across the United States to support the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s new Research Hospital.

Join the Stephan Challenge and follow Mark’s incredible journey from his bike ride beginning April 15, 2012 — and across the finish line.