In the fall of 2007, over what seemed like an ordinary dinner at IHOP, a Baylor student told his friends he had thought about taking his own life the night before. Asked what he would do if life had no limits, he said he might bike to Alaska. Seven months later, five of his classmates were on their bikes, beginning a 4,500-mile, 74-day ride from Waco to Anchorage to raise awareness for suicide prevention.
It was Brown’s sophomore year when he was hit with the massive news that would send him on a brand new course — literally. He saw firsthand the toll that the stresses of college could take on someone, a person in his own group of friends expressing his struggle with depression and his mental health.
Brown said his friend felt as though he was not living up to his family’s potential and had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. The conversation turned a corner when he said he contemplated taking his own life the night before.
“We were just flabbergasted,” Brown said. “We were trying to cheer him up.”
Brown and his friends emphasized how if he is unhappy, there is so much more to live for.
With that idea in mind, Brown asked him, “What would you do if there were no constraints on life?”
The friend responded, “I don’t know. Maybe I would like to bicycle cross country to Alaska,” Brown recalled.
Brown said only two words after that: “Why not?”
Brown, along with fellow Baylor students Alyson Erikson, Kyle Ferguson, Nathan Lloyd, and Andi Nakasone, rallied behind their peer and spearheaded a bike ride from Waco to Alaska in support of suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
On November 4, 2007, a Facebook group called Four Guys, One Destination, One Mission: Suicide Prevention was created in response to the sobering news they heard days prior. After gaining traction on the site, they made a goal: if they reached 250,000 followers, they would go forward with the idea to bike across the country. In less than two weeks, the group reached 300,000 followers.
“In our heads, we were thinking, ‘that’s never going to happen,’” Brown said.
They realized what started as a joke sparked an idea that became a reality, putting their plan in motion and setting course for Alaska in spring 2008.
Preparing for a journey like this — one spanning some 4,500 miles by bike — would generally require an abundance of training and planning. The Baylor group, made up of full-time students, prepared in the span of five months.
Brown, Erikson, and Lloyd mapped out their entire state-by-state route using a U.S. atlas, including where they would stop and which roads they would take. Brown said they began planning northwest from Waco into Abilene, and the University connected them with alumni who lived along the route willing to give them food or shelter. Brown created a blog to keep track of their journey as well as reach more people with their message.
“We hope to keep you updated on the road and challenge people with taking action and making a difference,” Brown wrote in a blog post.
“We are about 5 days away from our trip and the question ‘are we ready’ races in my mind,” Brown wrote. “Are we ready to bike 4500 miles? Are we ready to face exhaustion? Are we ready to eat tasteless food for 2 and half months? … Then I ask myself: Are we ready to meet new people? Are we ready to see beautiful sites? Are we ready to make great friends? Are we ready to challenge people on their journey through life? Are we ready to save lives? Are we ready to make a difference? … To these I ask you the same question, its all about how you view it”.
As online traction expanded, the group raised over $25,000 and made connections all over the country with Baylor alumni who offered to support them on their trip, as well as local churches. Many reached out and offered the group a place to stop during rest days and some even allowed them to do laundry and stay overnight in their homes.
Then, on May 15, 2008, the Five Alive commenced on their cross-country expedition.
As they rode on, Brown documented everything about the group’s day-to-day life on the road: rest stops, new cities, team dinners, Friday Night Lights marathons, flat tires, and the variety of weather conditions they had to endure.
The blog spread nationally and at almost every place the group stopped, they connected with someone who was impacted by their story. The group took a photo at every location with the Texas flag to “represent where this started,” Brown wrote.
“There are so many people who are affected by suicide, and the stories keep on rolling,” he wrote. “It really touched us to hear such personal accounts.”
“What we are doing is just so much bigger then ourselves. We are this small drop of hope against thousands that commit suicide and battle with depression,” Brown wrote. “Although small in size, it challenges the flat by moving the rest of the waters. A small drop of water has a lot of power.”
The group biked through Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Texas, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and the Yukon before reaching its final destination. After getting lost with 10 miles to go, legs dragging from the constant biking, and determination to finish what they started, they reached Anchorage, Alaska. Then-Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell welcomed the Five Alive into the state.
Brown said when the adrenaline came down, it was almost like a dream.
“We joined hands and praised each other. Tears were shed, gifts were given, and everybody hugged everybody,” he said. “It’s like we won a million-dollar jackpot. Our lives are changed forever and for the good. Smiles were plastered on all of our faces. This is what it means to be Alive.”
They spent the next four days there, explored their final destination, and took in the tremendous excursion they have now completed. Excited to get back to Texas, the group drove a support van they were donated for three straight days back to Waco with less than a month before the new school year started. Baylor held a welcome home party at the McLane Student Life Center and each rider was awarded a plaque for their achievement.
Even after the 74-day voyage across the country, Alyson Erikson (now Alyson Juarez) still believed there was more to be done. After making her return to Waco, she found it hard to go back to her normal life without thinking about more ways to advocate for the lives of those affected.
“I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and society puts a lot of pressure on us to figure everything out when we’re 18 and that’s just not realistic,” Juarez said.
Juarez reflected on her time in college and the statement that changed her life. She emphasized how those four years go by so fast and there is so much going on in the world other than choosing a major.
“God is going to take care of your needs and all the things that will adapt in your career and your life later,” Juarez said. “There’s not really a limit on what you can do inside and outside the classroom if you have the right people in your corner. You can make crazy dreams come true.”
Juarez now lives and works in San Antonio with her family, the other riders in different states as well. Brown said he still bikes and each time, it brings him back to 18 years ago. This story, although occurred almost 2 decades ago, touched the souls of many and serves as a constant reminder to do one thing: live.
“We’re all just kids that want to play outside,” Brown said.
