BOZEMAN — 300 miles and 12,000 calories later, Dylan Gillespie crossed the finish line for his bike race.
“This year, I wanted to break 300 miles and I ended up riding 310,” said Gillespie, a professional triathlete and Bozeman resident.
Gillespie biked back and forth between Middle Cottonwood Trailhead and Willow Creek for 12 hours straight on Sunday – he claims he was just 33 miles away from breaking a world record.
WATCH: Bozeman Athlete Rides 12 Hours Straight to Support Local Teens
“For this, I spent a lot more time on my bike, obviously, cause 12 hours on your bike is a long day,” he said. “You know, I was doing 20-hour bike weeks.”
Gillespie cycled to raise money for the local nonprofit The Rock Youth Center, which provides a safe space for teens outside of school.
“I have a heart for kids. You know, high school is so hard. Kids are mean. We all went through it, and, you know, suicide’s a problem, loneliness. I know kids sometimes don’t get meals. And, you know, I just wanted to raise awareness,” Gillespie said. “This is a really cool organization that’s close to home for a lot of us.”
“It gave me a lot of purpose to push myself really hard,” he added.
For The Rock Youth Center, Gillespie’s generosity and passion for this cause was especially timely. The organization was forced to shut its doors for over a month earlier this year due to flooding.
Now, because of his fundraising, they’ll be able to have extended hours and more space, according to executive assistant Janet Pannell. That includes plans for a potential new building near Bozeman High School.
“I am so impressed with one person who decided just to make a difference all on his own,” said Pannell. “He used his own skills, that are very specialized, and spent not just the 12 hours that he rode, but the days before, planning how he could do this incredible thing for us and dedicate it to The Rock.”
So far, Gillespie has raised $6,800 for the nonprofit – his ultimate goal is $20,000. To donate to his efforts, see the following link: https://www.therockyc.org/pages/12-hour-time-trial
RELATED:
After flooding shuts down The Rock Youth Center, staff looks to community for help in reopening
