50 Days, 3,200 Miles, 6 Flat Tires and No Limits

Henry Greenfield ’12, ’14G had just received a master’s degree in secondary education from Lehigh when he found himself in the sometimes ambiguous space between commencement and employment. Greenfield decided to take advantage of that space and tackle a lifelong goal—a cross-country bike trip.
 
“It was an impulsive decision,” says Greenfield. “This was always on my bucket list. Why not use this time as an opportunity to go out and do something I’ve always wanted to do?”

Greenfield added significance to his trip by using it to raise funds and awareness for No Limits, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization that offers educational centers for hearing-impaired children, particularly those living in poverty. The program also provides the only national theater program for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Greenfield, who was born with severe to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, started participating in No Limits when he was 9. He thrived in the program, which invites hearing-impaired children to practice their communication skills and empowers them with the motto “I can do it.”

“I’ve been mainstreamed my whole life,” says Greenfield, who has cochlear implants in both ears. “No Limits was my first experience with other kids with hearing loss. It was an unbelievably positive environment that instilled confidence and self-belief.”

To help provide a similar experience for other kids with hearing loss, Greenfield reached out to Michelle Christie, the founder and executive director of No Limits. He explained his bold plan.

“As an alum of No Limits, Henry embodies the spirit of No Limits—the “I can do it” motto,” says Christie. “His determination and perseverance to bike ride alone across the country teaches us that anything is possible and nothing can stop you when you believe in yourself.”

Having received Christie's support, Greenfield acquired the necessary gear and finalized the logistics of his trip. He aimed to arrive in Culver City, California, the home of No Limits, in 50 days from his start in Hoboken, New Jersey. He won a social media contest and received a never-ending pasta pass from chain restaurant Olive Garden. The pass allowed Greenfield as much pasta, soup or salad and breadsticks as he could eat at any Olive Garden location. Greenfield planned his route accordingly, and Christie helped arrange lodging, most of which was provided by hotel owners at no cost or at a discounted rate.

Greenfield enlisted friends, family and social media contacts to begin raising money through crowdfunding websites GoFundMe and FirstGiving, allocating to No Limits all funds beyond necessary trip expenses.

On Sept. 23, 2014, within a month of his decision to make the trip, Greenfield began his 50-day, 3,200-mile adventure. The ride started smoothly and Greenfield felt confident, having previously completed a successful 95-mile bike ride in a single day. “There were moments when it would hit me, and I would smile and be really proud of what I was doing,” says Greenfield.

His limits, however, would soon be tested.

Greenfield biked on interstates, country roads, wooded trails and dirt paths. He biked through intense heat, pounding rain and fierce winds. His sleeping arrangements ranged from hotels to sofas to a makeshift bed of pillows in a church basement. He biked across vast plains, up and down mountains and in the dark of night. He still has scars from the two injuries he suffered on treacherous roads. On his 32nd day—2,000 miles into his trip—Greenfield experienced what would turn out to be the first of six flat tires, four of which occurred four days in a row.

In spite of  setbacks, Greenfield persevered, determined to bike the entire distance in 50 days. Even if a benevolent motorist gave him a lift to get a flat repaired, Greenfield rode back to where he’d stopped biking, unwavering in his resolve. For the final stretch of the trip, he pushed hard to make his goal. “I was like a robot those last three days,” he says.

Finally, at sundown on Nov. 11, an enthusiastic group from No Limits cheered Greenfield as he arrived at a pier near Culver City. It was the 50th day. Greenfield walked his bike to the Pacific Ocean and took in the moment.

“People don’t give themselves that chance to do something like this. You’re capable of more than you realize.”

So far, Greenfield’s cross-country adventure has raised $7,000 for No Limits, an impressive accomplishment given the spontaneous nature of his trip.

“If you want to go after something, you can do it,” says Greenfield. “There really are no limits.”

By Kelly Hochbein