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Peter Frank, from Escanaba, rides a unicycle from Wisconsin to Arizona to raise funds for the Beacon House in Marquette. People can follow his journey at www.whereispeterfrank.com. (Photo courtesy of Peter Frank)
MARQUETTE – Peter Frank’s house is a unicycle, and that’s OK for him, given what he’s been through.
Frank, 20, whose hometown is Escanaba, travels by unicycle from Appleton, Wisconsin, to Phoenix to raise funds for the Steve Mariucci Family Beacon House in Marquette, which offers a “Home away from home” for critically ill patients and their families.
Beacon House is building a new facility in Marquette, so Frank, who started June 28 and was in Oklahoma on Monday, wants to play a part in that effort.
The unicycle is his way of contributing to the mission of Beacon House.
Frank needs his gear along the way, but a unicycle doesn’t really have a lot of storage space. This therefore adds a particular challenge.
“It’s much more difficult than if I had nothing hanging over my unicycle, that’s for sure. said Franck.
The 55 pounds of extra weight strapped to his unicycle in waterproof bags even makes it difficult for him to ride it.
And then he has to ride a unicycle, which implies a certain balance.
“It takes about 30 feet to adjust after you go up, so for those 30 feet you wobble a bit,” said Franck. “You are not stable. You are not comfortable.
This challenge did not deter him.
“Without this struggle, I would never learn to appreciate it”, said Franck.
Frank, however, is already used to wrestling.
When he was 14, he was hiding in a pile of leaves when a car hit him. Fourteen bones, including his back, were broken, and he had to relearn to walk. Even now he has three titanium rods in his body.
His family stayed at Beacon House, which was fortunate, as making the round trip between Marquette from Escanaba would have been expensive.
Frank said a doctor told him he was unlikely to take a unicycle again, which the teen interpreted as “Live like a vegetable”.
“It took me a year and a half before I had the determination and the rebellious attitude to just jump on a unicycle, and not a day went by that I didn’t ride”, said Frank, who noted that he had sold “all he had” for the trip.
For two years, he has been training for travel, a source of pride for his family.
Her parents are Butch and Ellen Frank, who live in Escanaba. Ellen Frank said her son was traveling from his brother Breck’s home in Appleton to the home of her sister, Winona Syreini, who lives in Chandler, Arizona. He has another sister, Johanna Frank, who lives in Escanaba.
“His father and I are very proud of him because he has had to overcome so many challenges since his accident six years ago, both physical and mental. his mother said in an email. “He has such a positive outlook on life right now and it hasn’t always been that way. He decided in his heart and in his mind to move on, to change his perspective and to give back. “
Ellen Frank said that Peter came home one day and announced that he was going to cross America by unicycle in two weeks.
“He did not want any financial help from his parents”, she said. “He’s on his own and does it with the help of generous people everywhere along the way and just shares (on) his social media.”
Social support helps
Frank, who said he started his trip with just $ 600 in his pocket, has many followers on Facebook who wished him luck on his travels.
Beacon House, of course, had something nice to say on Facebook.
“Just an amazing young man and an amazing story!” he posted.
In an email, Beacon House CEO Mary Tavernini Dowling called Frank “one of the most courageous and adventurous people” she has met before, and marvels at him being so young and doing something so daring.
“He is wise beyond his years and his passion for helping others is amazing”, said Tavernini Dowling. “When we first spoke about his desire to take this fundraising trip on his unicycle, I was concerned for his health and safety, but he had a plan and was ready to make it happen.”
She said watching Frank’s trip unfold was “Inspiring and terrifying” for her.
“I have feelings of motherly protection and worry about what he might face next, but then I see social media posts from people he has met who have helped him in the process. road and I’m like, “He’s got this, stop worrying, ‘” said Tavernini Dowling. “When he told me he hoped to be on the ‘Ellen’ show to raise awareness of Beacon House, I told him that we had been trying to get his attention for years.
“Now that I see what he does, I think he would be one of the best guests she could have.”
She also touched on Frank’s previous accident.
“I will never, ever forget the time we spent with his parents when he was in the hospital”, said Tavernini Dowling. “His accident was so traumatic that we all feared he would not come out of it.
“We were there while the medical professionals took each rabbit out of the hat to stabilize it and then heal it, and we absolutely marvel at how lucky we are here in Marquette to have surgeons, doctors and medical teams. like us. They’re the best in the world and one of two reasons he’s with us today and doing incredibly well. “
The other reason, she noted, is the love and prayers his family has poured out for him – “quite a potent drug in itself.”
“At Beacon House, we’ll do everything we can to keep our loved ones together in the event of a medical crisis, and that’s just about the greatest happy ending we could have asked for,” said Tavernini Dowling.
On Thursday, Frank made a particularly poignant post on Facebook.
“I can see why people are perplexed when I walk into a bar or a store and tell people that I love what I do” he said. “Because from their perspective, they see an inefficient mode of transportation, in ridiculous weather, in a process that almost completely removes the convenience of the daily system.
“Yet I still make the most of every day, because after all the rough miles, insane amounts of heat, back aches and pains, drops and scratches, close calls with semi-trailers and other vehicles, and waking up in a tent no taller than a coffin, I have the wonderful privilege of hearing “Look mom, unicyclist!” as I look over to see a young child, pointing and smiling as I walk by and finish my day There is nothing more rewarding for me than this.
Frank said that as of Monday, approximately $ 3,000 has been raised over the past three months, with the goal of raising $ 100,000. He hopes to complete his trip in a month and a half.
To donate to Frank’s cause and see all of his social media links, visit www.whereispeterfrank.com, which also contains a map of his current location.
“Whenever I have the chance, I always try to help people” said Franck. “I always try to give back and just be that positive influence that I want to see in the world, because someone once told me at a very difficult time in my life that I had to create the company in which I want to live, and that’s what I’m doing now.
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