I started this journey in September when a dear friend, who I’ve been jealous of because of her cross-country bike ride a couple of years ago, sent PTP’s story to me. Selfishly, my initial motive in applying was, “This would be a fun story to tell.” Over the past six months of being on the team and learning about efforts to fight sex trafficking, my motive has expanded quite a bit. The more I’ve learned about sex trafficking and its realities, the more deeply invested I’ve become in this cause.
As a future educator, I am passionate about equipping students with the skills they need to navigate life beyond the classroom. One of the most important of these is self-advocacy—recognizing when something is wrong, speaking up, and seeking support. PTP has already challenged me to develop this skill further, and I want to ensure my future students feel empowered to do the same. Education plays a critical role in prevention, and supporting anti-trafficking organizations helps amplify this effort.
In the fall of 2023, while studying and interning in Washington, D.C., I gained valuable insight into advocacy. Effective advocacy isn’t about speaking on behalf of others but rather creating space for their voices to be heard. In my time with PTP and through trainings from our beneficiary National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(NCMEC), I’ve come to understand how essential survivor voices are in this fight. By understanding experiences, it becomes easier to dispel myths about sex trafficking. The more truth that is shared, the better we can learn prevention practices and provide helpful resources.
Effective advocacy isn’t about speaking on behalf of others but rather creating space for their voices to be heard.
I ride because I want to dispel these myths and provide proper prevention education. As I teach my future students to think critically about the world around them and how to practice advocacy for themselves and others, I want them to know that I am always there to support them. I can’t wait to learn more from my teammates and the people we meet along the coast. My initial motive still stands as I’m getting more comfortable with my team and the people that make PTP possible. I’m having fun and I’m going to have a good story to tell to the friends and family that are supporting me through this. I think of these reasons every time I’m struggling on my training rides to prevent me from giving up.
Through this journey, I hope to continue learning, growing, and contributing to meaningful change. The fight against sex trafficking is not just one person’s responsibility—it’s an issue that affects us all. I ride because fighting sex trafficking should be everybody’s business.
