Robbinsdale man rides Bike 400 Miles To Help Others

Calling it the "ride of a lifetime," Michael Fransen traveled thousands of miles to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS and poverty in Africa. The Robbinsdale man used his passion for biking to pedal for a good cause last July called Bike Zambia. "I wanted to go to Africa especially Zambia because it's one of the hardest hit places of HIV in the world," said Fransen. Fransen was the only Minnesotan on the 34-member team. He says the ride was grueling at times, but says the spirit of the people helped when the 409-mile bike trek in Zambia got hard. Fransen says scores of people cheered him on as he rode his bike down a dusty road. During his trip, Fransen also visited a school where, a group of girls showed their appreciation through song and dance. But not every thing was beautiful. Fransen got to see the effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zambia, where more than 1 and 7 adults live with HIV/AIDS. "We went to a clinic and the amount of people just lined up to get health care and there's only one doctor available," said Fransen. "They had rooms that were just designated to testing people for HIV/AIDS. And you'd see Moms there with their kids." Zambia is one of Africa's poorest countries. Fransen said he sometimes felt guilty for taking his American lifestyle for granted. "You hear about these countries but when you actually see it in person it's every different," he said. "I think that's one of the hardest thing about this ride." Fransen said while the people he met are poor, he said they are rich in other ways. "It's surprising how little they have in some senses. Now some of them I'd say they have a lot in other aspects, such as families, and things like that." Fransen raised $5,200 dollars for Bike Zambia, while his team brought in more than $100,000. Some of that money will be used to train medical professionals in Zambia to help with the fight against HIV/AIDS. To learn more: bikezambia.michaelfransen.com Sonya Goins, reporting http://twelve.tv/ http://www.facebook.com/12localnews http://twitter.com/12LocalNews 12 News is on Comcast cable channel 12 in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis and includes the cities Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.