Project Love

Overview

My name is Erik Gholson Williams and I am in training to Bicycle from Ground Zero New York City cross country to Los Angeles California in 2009. The beautiful thing about this mission is that I am a C6-7 Quadriplegic and will use a hand propelled bicycle to complete my mission. I am also an aspiring Film Maker attending Cal-State University Northridge. I will be graduating from CSUN in June 2009 with a degree in Television Production. I believe that it’s a great opportunity to not only bicycle across America but to create a high quality documentary that can truly inspire the human race. My story is one that has tragedy, doubt, despair, courage, belief, humility, and triumph. I began training in August 2007 at Cal-State Northridge Universities Brown Center. For the road trip we will be traveling by 2/3 Motor-homes in all. We also will have a minivan as well to tail me as I cycle. We will be seeking to involve media (radio, television, newspaper) in cities and towns we cross to help promote our purpose and mission. Our team will consist of three drivers, my personal care attendant, my trainer, my manager, and a film crew of individuals. I had this vision of bicycling across country in 1999 but I knew that the time needed to be right. The time is right and I am ready to create a positive piece of history.

Biography

Hi, my name is Erik Gholson Williams and I am an inspiration to the world. I am a young man with two beautiful daughters that was critically injured in a car accident/blessing in 1997 in Salt Lake City, Utah. My injuries consisted of severing my spinal cord at the C6-7 cervical vertebrae. Although I am paralyzed from the chest down I do have the usage of my arms. I had to overcome many challenges physically but the greatest challenges were the mental challenges. Imagine playing a few games of basketball and football at the beach with a good friend. Then waking up after being in a coma for three weeks and the first words you here are “You’re paralyzed and you may never have the functions of your arms or legs again.” Well that is what happened in my life. I am grateful that I was able to play hoops and a little football the last day of my walking experience and that I could breathe life again. I was hospitalized for almost a year. I tell people I was in shock for at least a year. I went into a deep depression for many months. When I hit my deepest darkest moment is when I ended up in a nursing home for many months. I couldn’t believe that I was 26 years old, paralyzed and living in a nursing home. I was like “Wow this is how I am going to live the rest of my life.” I got down to 95 pounds and hope was fading quickly. Then my mother called me from California and said “Erik you’re moving to Los Angeles and going to a great facility for spinal cord rehab, Rancho Los Amigos.” I was at Rancho for three months. Then from there I went to a program called “New Start Homes.” The focus for New Start program was to get you back into the community which Mary Williams founded. It was a great program, Mary Williams truly is an angel. Now I live with a roommate in an apartment in the city of Canoga Park, California.I have been attending Pierce College since 2002, GPA 3.15, Deans List 4 semesters (being student body President 2004-2005) and graduating with two degrees in Administrative Business, and Liberal Arts. During that time I was an intern at Time Warner. I was also busy developing three episodes of “The Beautiful World” children’s show as writer, director, creator, and producer. I am continuing my education; in the fall of 2007 I am attending Cal-State University Northridge and majoring in Television & Cinema. In 2005 I was able to produce three episodes of The Beautiful World which I financed myself. Through this process I gained a tremendous amount of experience on all levels of production. I am a highly motivated individual ready to fulfill my vision.

Purpose

I am going on this journey so I may inspire the human race in the wonderful gifts that helped me heal my heart from tragedy to triumph. These are the basic elements which I incorporate into my daily life. The first one is LOVE. “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” John 4:16. After almost dying and fighting to stay alive I have realized that life is about expressing LOVE in the moment. We are not promised tomorrow and I am learning to take the foot steps of life each day in LOVE. The second reason I am riding is the great healer “Forgiveness.” I am learning that forgiveness is such a powerful, amazing gift to give to others and most important ourselves. Third, I ride for “Mercy.” Having compassion in my life towards those around me and those far away from me has truly brought peace in my life. The fourth reason I am riding for is “Grace.” When I began to give in my life I realized that I am helping others through generosity. It brings such an internal humbleness to the heart and truly helps those in need. The fifth reason I am riding is for “Harmony.” I have gained an appreciation for differences may it be places, people or things. I am learning when you harmonize yourself with the environment, people and places it becomes a beautiful song internally. Sixth reason I am riding for is “Faith.” There was a time when I lost faith in my life and it was dark. Then slowly I began to build my faith by incorporating love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, gratitude, and harmony. I believe that riding for all these gifts can help bring the hearts of people to a healing place. What’s so wonderful about these gifts is that we don’t have to wait to receive them we are the giver/receiver of the gifts. The seventh reason I am riding for is “Gratitude.” Since I received a second opportunity from God to live my life I appreciate the Earth, life, and love. I realize that I am blessed to be living in the United States of America because of the freedoms we have. When I focus on what I have in my life my heart is filled with gratitude. The final reason I am riding for is Humility. We will be raising money for charities as we travel cross country. We are researching charities that we are going to be involved with.

Training

Cal-State University Northridge Adaptive P.E. program is one of the best adaptive programs for individuals with physical disabilities at a college and professional level. The program is headed by Taeyou Jung at the Brown Center. Since I am a student at CSUN I have immediate access to the program which has a five year waiting list. In August 2007 I began to train for my inspiring cross country cycling tour. I will train at the Brown Center with a Physical Therapist four days a week. The first five months I will focus on weight training so I can maximize my strength in my upper extremities. I will also start cycling on a stationary hand cycle so I can build strength and endurance. In the early spring of 2008 I will begin to cycle on a bike trail in the valley which parallels the Metro Orange Line Bus Rail. The total mileage for the bike trail is 13.5 one way. I will be training with my associate Mario Quintero who will train with me on the bike trail. The goal is to build up my endurance and strength on the bike trail so I can complete 50 miles a day. The summer of 2008 I will train both at the Brown Center and on my bike. Fall 2008 I will train at the Brown Center four days a week and the bike trail on the weekends. I am so excited to be able to train at a high level to do something wonderful.

Bicycle Equipment

I will begin my training in the gym. As of the spring 2008 I will begin training on a hand bicycle. My clothing will be designed by Gabrielle Letamendi who is my seamstress. It will be especially deigned to keep my body temperature at a level to maximize my performance. I will be using a high performance hand bicycle; I am seeking to obtain a Quickie S Shark. I am also seeking sponsorship from Quickie for the Quickie S Shark. I will begin to try out high performance hand bikes in the fall 2007. I will also need custom hand gloves to secure my hands to the hand crank. The bike will be custom fit to my measurements. “Quickie Shark S”

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Transportation

We are seeking Sponsors to help assist in our efforts to travel across country. We will travel by two Motorhomes. We also will need one minivan to assist in the process. The two Motorhomes will house the film crew and my crew. We will have three drivers one as an alternate for the Motorhomes. With a Class C driver’s license basically anyone with a driver license can drive the Motorhomes. The minivan will be wheelchair accessible along with one Motorhome. The focus for the minivan is to tail me as I handcycle across America. It will also transport me to the location of the Motorhome base for the day. We will continue to research how we can be cost effective in our transportation efforts without compromising our living quarters.

Sponsors

I am seeking sponsors on all levels for this historical event. We need support from equipment to transportation, and even raising money to help support cost of mission. I am seeking Corporate Sponsorship in the field of Adaptable Equipment Companies. For example “Quickie Corporation their dealings are in wheelchairs and Hand Cycles.” I also will be seeking Corporate Sponsorship in the retail business for example “Nike, and Quickie.” This will allow us to raise money for our historical event. Sponsors will be able to put logo over clothing, transportation, and media plugs on radio and television. We will document my training program on video each week. Then every month we will send a three minute video of my progress to potential sponsors so they can see how I am progressing. We are shooting a documentary which will be shown at major Film Festivals. This will allow more exposure for our sponsors. Sponsorship will be a crucial part of us receiving equipment needed and raising money to complete our mission.

Marketing

When it comes to marketing our goal is to create a voice across the country about our historical event. We will use all channels of the media, television (News, talk shows, radio, and newspapers).Through these media channels we will create a voice months before we set out on our historical mission. Our goal for our marketing campaign is to create a voice, following, while we travel from New York City to California. The website we build will be a great asset in informing the public of our day to day activities as well as donations for the different charities we sponsor. Weeks before we set out on the road we will involve all media channels. The purpose for our mission will be the single most important piece of the marketing campaign. The purpose of our mission will inspire our country on an emotional, mental, and physical level. It will truly elevate our nation’s consciousness. The purpose of the mission is what we will communicate through the media channels. When we communicate our purpose through the media channels it will be consistent through the different channels of media. I will be searching for a publicist to assist in creating a voice for our mission. Since I live in Los Angeles I believe we can inspire the city of L.A. through our marketing efforts and create a strong voice here at home.

Documentary

Our goal for the high quality documentary is to produce a thought provoking, conscience enlightening, and inspiring piece of work. I have been to the depths of darkness and reaching for the heights of the mountain. My story is truly one that has an opportunity to touch many souls positively, consciously, spiritually, and emotionally. We are seeking sponsorship to pay for the cost of producing the documentary. When we embark on our cross country tour we will have a professional film crew at work. We will be on the road about 12 weeks from the time we leave New York City to the time we reach Santa Monica Pear. We will be speaking to several potential prospects for production. We will seek other ways to raise the funding for our historical mission. I will begin to work out in August 2007 and that’s when I will begin filming the documentary. This documentary is a tremendous opportunity the share a wealth of knowledge I have learned through my journey in life. Building from ground zero emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally has truly been a beautiful blessing.