WASHINGTON D.C., DC — 35 days, 3,400 miles and multiple sweat blisters later, one bicyclist has made it all the way to Washington, D.C.
WUSA9'S Jacqueline Quynh takes us on a ride to meet Naresh Kumar, and why he went to great lengths to raise awareness about human trafficking.
"This is a place I've wanted to be for the last 30, 35 days, so it's so good to be back," Kumar said.
That's how long it has taken Kumar to make it to the nation's capital from Astoria, Oregon.
"I grew up in very humble beginnings in India and life was pretty rough. You see a lot of exploitation happening around you and can't do anything about it. But as you grow up, you want to do something about it."
That something was to raise awareness about human trafficking, which includes forced labor or sex acts.
"To solve a problem, acknowledging it is the first step," Kumar said.
So why bike across the country? It helped a stir a conversation.
"I think it's the curiosity that gets a lot of them. They see a seat empty when you're riding, while they're riding next to you, and they'll be like, 'You know your girlfriend is gone, she's not there in the seat next to you.'"
Sometimes it was a funny remark that allowed Kumar to talk about his cause, Pedaling 4 Freedom.
"Naresh Kumar named his bike Kindness, so that people could ask, 'Where is Kindness online?' and hop in on this seat," Quynh said.
The tandem bike symbolizes the loss of freedom experienced by victims.
"When you sit there you can't steer, you can't hit the brakes, and you trust a random person."
But for volunteers, there’s an option to leave. A report from the State Department estimates in 2021 there were about 27 million people around the world that met the definition of human trafficking according to U.S. law.
"Just be aware before you buy or consume something. Did the hand or product, that hand that made that possible, did they eat that day, did they work, and did they get paid that day?" Kumar said.
He's already thinking of his next challenge, on top of his day job.
"You'd be surprised, I'm a freelance engineer. I carried my laptop the whole way on this trip."
But there’s another big adventure waiting for him at home.
"I want to go back home because I have a 35-week pregnant wife back home. I'm expecting a child."
You can find out more information about Pedaling 4 Freedom here.
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