My name is Jacob Hirsch, and a lot of who I am comes from the places I’ve served and the people and experiences that have shaped me. I serve in the Army with the JAG Corps, and earlier in my career I trained with the 75th Ranger Regiment during Ranger PT, which taught me discipline, grit, and what it means to push my body far past what I thought were my limits. Before the military, I earned my Eagle Scout rank, spent summers doing FOCUS projects, and got involved in different service groups that taught me how to lead and how to serve with purpose.
My faith is a huge part of my life, and I strive for daily Mass because I want to stay grounded in something bigger than myself. I’ve always believed that if God gives you a strong body, you’re meant to use it fully, and that’s part of why I love biking so much. There’s something about grinding through miles, fighting the wind, climbing hills, and feeling every muscle work that makes me feel alive and connected to God’s gifts. My military service ties into that too — defending freedom means defending the most basic freedom of all: the right to life. All of these pieces of my life come together in this mission.
I wanted to be a missionary with Biking for Babies in order to advocate for the pro‑life movement in a way that is active, visible, and rooted in love. I wanted to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves — especially the unborn and the women who feel voiceless or alone in their pregnancies. I wanted to suffer alongside the women who go through pregnancies without support, the ones who carry fear or pain quietly and don’t have anyone walking with them. I’ll never experience pregnancy, but I can choose to take on physical suffering as a way of honoring theirs.
In July, missionaries will take part in the National Ride and travel 600 miles by bike over the course of a week. This journey and the challenges and suffering we experience will be offered for the Biking for Babies mission, women going through challenging pregnancies, and their unborn children. If riding hundreds of miles can help even one woman feel supported or help one child get a chance at life, then every mile is worth it. Biking is one of the purest ways I know to offer up my strength, my effort, and my endurance for someone else’s good. People should donate to this mission because the impact goes far beyond the miles I ride.
Donations directly support pregnancy resource centers that walk with women in real, practical ways — offering medical care, counseling, supplies, education, and hope at moments when they need it most. Your support doesn’t just help me complete a long ride; it helps mothers who are scared, families who are struggling, and babies who deserve a chance to live and be loved. When you give, you’re not giving to me — you’re giving to the women who feel alone, the children who can’t speak for themselves, and the communities trying to build a culture of life rooted in compassion and dignity. Each donation becomes part of the mission, part of the miles, and part of the lives changed along the way.
I invite you to join in the mission of Biking for Babies with me by making a gift towards my fundraising campaign. Your gift supports our mission to renew the culture of life by forming young adult missionaries and raising awareness and funds for pregnancy resource centers that support pregnant women across the country.