Earlier this month, over 300 riders and hikers, from nine countries gathered in Israel for a four-day experience of a lifetime. It was incredible to see and feel the camaraderie as well as welcome new participants to the Wheels of Love community.

Wheels of Love is ALYN Hospital’s flagship fundraiser. For over 22 years, the ride has raised millions of dollars to support the best-in-class treatments and innovative care at ALYN. Every rider, hiker and volunteer has seen how the money they’ve raised goes directly towards providing medical and therapeutic care for children facing physical disabilities at ALYN Hospital.

Our riders and hikers enjoyed beautiful weather (on most days), challenging terrain and scenic views. During the ride, we had the privilege of listening to an evening talk between Dr. Naomi Gefen, Deputy Director General at ALYN Hospital, and Guy Niv, member of the Israeli cycling team, Israel Start-Up Nation. It was so inspiring to hear them discuss parallels between cycling and the life-changing work at ALYN. Guy described his daily training regimen to compete in a rigorous challenging 21-day Tour de France bike ride. He compared this to the efforts the children at ALYN put in daily to achieve their personal goals and to be productive to the best of their ability. This can enable them to be able to live at home with their families in their communities.

We were also joined by Leah Goldstein, the first woman to win Race Across America. Leah certainly knows what it is to persevere through physical challenges and work hard to achieve personal goals.

On the final day of the ride, it was incredible to have both Guy and Leah participate in Wheels of Love ’22 and ride together with children of ALYN’s team, The Swift and The Bold! True mentors for the children!

Watch your email for the Wheels of Love ’23 dates and upcoming events.

You can watch the closing ceremony here: