My Story
Hi, I’m Shane Hendrickson coming to you from Golden, Colorado (Denver). I originally grew up on the farm and ranch near Ypsilanti, North Dakota where I spent most of my time playing football, basketball, baseball, and doing track and field. I would eventually end up attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While there, I got involved working at the campus rec center and playing club baseball. This would also be the time when I bought my first (nice) bike, and found great enjoyment biking long miles all over town. Upon leaving Lincoln and moving back to the North Dakota countryside where there were no nice trails, my bike began to collect dust as it sat stagnant for around 10 years.
A move to Denver ensued three years ago and I would meet Stephen who introduced me to Biking for Babies. At first, I didn’t take to this particular mission being for me because I never imagined the pro-life movement being something God was calling me to be more intimately involved with. Nonetheless, the deadline had passed for applying when it hit me, “this Mission was made for me…my two greatest passions, faith AND fitness, was the perfect marriage.” I asked Stephen if it was still possible to sign up, and B4B made it happen. I pulled my bike out from the depths of its slumber, dusted off the cobwebs, and started racking up the miles quickly. My passion had been rediscovered, but now it served a greater purpose.
But WHY do this Mission? First and foremost, fitness has always been a part of my life. Secondly, faith has taken a more increasingly central role in my day-to-day life since the end of my college years. And lastly, and most notably, this Mission gives greater meaning to fitness as I take care of this bodily temple God gave me. It takes my faith outside the confines of Mass and interior prayer and makes Christ visible to the world around us. His house is set upon a hill to see and is not hidden under a basket. It’s there for everyone to see…Christ’s life in action…on two wheels…one mile at a time.
Join me in Biking for Babies' mission 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.