Rebecca Rusch is an endurance athlete, part-time EMT and firefighter, and full-time professional adventurer. Known as "The Queen of Pain" for her gritty attitude and perseverance under adverse conditions, she holds many trophies and titles, but she describes her March 2016 summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro as, “definitely the coolest ride I’ve ever done in my life.”
When Rusch heard that Patrick Sweeney would be biking to the top of Kilimanjaro, she thought it would be the perfect opportunity to meld her thirst for adventure with her desire to spread some cycling love. “I’m pretty passionate about what the bicycle has done for me,” she says, “It’s allowed me to travel the world and provided amazing opportunities. I want to share some of that with others.”
To help provide better access to bikes, Rusch set a goal of raising $19,341 for World Bicycle Relief, one dollar for every foot of elevation gained on the ascent. She believes in the organization’s commitment to change. “They don’t just hand out a bunch of money,” she says, “it’s an application process, recipients sign a contract, students’ attendance and grades must improve to keep the bike. It’s really empowering people to change their lives.”