For many people, a bicycle is a way to get from one place to another. For Mack Khouri, it’s a platform to support the Assyrian community and honor his late grandmother.
This summer, Khouri set off on a more than 1,200 mile bike ride, traveling from Cincinnati to D.C. on to New York, while raising funds and awareness for the Assyrian Aid Society, an organization that held special meaning for his late grandmother, Gina.
The ride is part athletic challenge, part personal pilgrimage. As Khouri embarked on his journey, I spoke with him about the motivation behind the ride, the challenges ahead and the memory of his late grandmother.
What inspired you to begin this ride?
I was sitting on the couch one week after being laid off from my job, my uncle had suddenly passed, and I was isolated in my apartment alone because of the COVID pandemic. I was at my worst. The lowest point of my life.
That’s when Lael Wilcox’s Tour Divide video came on in my YouTube feed. I watched it like three times in a row. I couldn’t believe that you could ride your bicycle the length of America, go up steep hills and mountain sides and basically live and sustain yourself all while riding a bike.
I was in a bad place mentally, and physically I was at my heaviest weight. I just wanted a change. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. So I ordered a bicycle that week. I’ve ridden at least 20 miles a day ever since. I lost 50 pounds and I regained my confidence.
I never want to own a car again. The bicycle has completely changed the way I view the world.
How do you prepare for such a long trip?
I’ve ridden my bike every day for the last 6 years. Over these years, I’ve ridden from Chicago to Detroit, from Pittsburgh to D.C., from Chicago to Milwaukee and back (a 200-mile loop), and Chicago to Madison and back several times.
I’ve consulted a professional bicycle fitter, Anne Barnes. My mechanics and local bike shop are the best in the Chicago area. Scott Bell at Comrade Cycles has custom-built, rebuilt and rebuilt again my Kona Rove DL and wheelset that I’m riding today.
I feel like I have the right gear, the right mindset and the right support system to do it. There is never a perfect time to go, so you have to just go right now.
Tell us about the route you plan to take, and what challenges you expect along the way?
The route is a bit of a mess, to be completely honest.
When I was planning this trip last year, I thought I’d only be able to ride for about one week, so I started planning a route that I found on bikepacking.com that follows the Ohio River on the Buckeye State Trail for about 670 miles.
But instead, a couple of months ago I realized that if I can go for one week, I can probably go for two. And if I can go for two weeks, I can easily go for a month.
And then it snowballed into this epic ride.
I’ve never been to New York before, so I thought if I can get to Cleveland, then I can figure out how to get to Pittsburgh pretty easily. From Pittsburgh, I already know how to get to D.C. I’ve done it once before. There’s a 450-mile gravel route that combines two really well-known trail systems, The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath Trail. And once I’m in DC, I’m confident I can tether together a route into New York City.
I only have about 1,200 miles fully thought out. The rest will be an adventure and adjusting to the weather, my health and the road conditions ahead.
Why did you choose Assyrian Aid Society for the fundraiser?
It’s something my grandma was passionate about. She always donated to the group and she always listened to the radio show on Saturdays. She would light up when Assyrian Aid Society would mention fundraisers.
She was always hoping and praying that she could do more for Assyrians who were struggling with the constant war and oppression in the Middle East. So that’s where it started. It also helps that my cousin is very involved in the community, so it seemed like a no-brainer.
Tell us about Grandma Gina and how she influenced your life.
My grandma Gina was not a softie. She was kind of a badass.
She was silly with me, but also very stoic and serious. She did everything with great intention and paid attention to the little things. She would iron my briefs, for crying out loud.
She taught me to always be present and lead with my best foot forward. Being smart meant you looked smart. So you had to be well dressed. She also would tell me not to be too proud to ask for help and to always give back, because those who are really in need may not know how to advocate for themselves.
What do you hope this ride accomplishes?
I want to put Assyrians back on the map. And not for something that’s related to the church or being a part of the MAGA train.
We’re diverse. Assyria was once the largest empire in the region. Jews, Palestinians, Phoenicians, Akkadians, Chaldeans and Babylonians all called that place home at one point. I think we’ve forgotten how tolerant King Sargon was of all these people’s differences. We need to get back to that place of acceptance and that’s what this ride is all about.
I hope that this ride gets the right attention and that people who also don’t identify as Assyrian can feel comfortable donating to this humanitarian effort. People are suffering. These people happen to be my people. So let’s help each other out.
What message would you like to share with young Assyrians who care deeply about their heritage but may not know how to contribute their own talents?
If you put all of yourself into the things that you love, and it can be anything: tennis, rocket engineering, sewing, etc., your personality will shine through in those interests. People who have the same interests as you will find that energy to be infectious. It’s the reason why we’re in love with our favorite athletes, actors and musicians.
But you need to start having the courage to try and to fail and to put yourself out there.
One of my friends once said to me, “I decided a long time ago that I wanted to be the coolest person I know. So I started doing the things that I thought the coolest version of myself would do.”
For me, it started with riding a bike. I love riding. I was going to ride my bike whether Assyrian Aid Society was involved or not.
I told my cousin what I was doing, and how I thought it could be cool to do it for charity as well, and she was like, “what about Assyrian Aid Society, dummy?” And I thought that was an awesome idea.
Then, not to get weird or witchy or whatever, but my sister and I had the same exact dream about my grandma. It was very overwhelming and emotional. So I thought we should dedicate the ride to her.