COMMUNITY NEWS

Finding peace in ‘the middle of nowhere’

Bellmorite biking across America to raise funds, honor mother

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Whether gazing out at the hills of Christiansburg, Va., or the grain fields of Danville, Ill., or sleeping at campgrounds in “the middle of nowhere,” A.J. Borowski has found many quiet moments of solace as he undertakes a monumental bicycle trek across the United States, which he began this summer. In between meeting new people and exploring new places, the 25-year-old reflects on his relationship with the woman who inspired his journey: his mother, Maria, a beloved Bellmore dance teacher who died on July 31, 2014.

“She was a free spirit, so she definitely would’ve loved this,” he said. “She always had a big smile on her face. She was just a big, bright cloud. Her love was unbelievable.”

Borowski’s trip to the West Coast is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to finding a cure for the disease that claimed his mother’s life.

Maria, who opened Maria’s Dance Studio on St. Mark’s Avenue in 1973 and died at age 57, befriended her students. Tget became like extended family, beyond her husband and four children, including A.J. and three daughters.

Borowski, who is in the tile installation business, did not take time off work after losing his mother; however, he said he wanted to take a vacation to ease his mind. Six months ago, he began riding a bike more frequently with friends, which he came to enjoy so much that he decided to try a long-distance trek as his cancer fundraiser.

“I chose a bike trip because not a lot of people do it,” she said. “I am adventurous. … I always wanted to do something amazing in my life. This gives me a chance to check out our country, and it’s been awesome.”

Borowski spent three months gathering supplies, riding long distances locally and planning his cross-country route. His family thought it was an outrageous idea at first. Later, they thought it was simply cool.

A friend helped Borowski set up a fundraising page on the website teamintraining.org, through which he had collected $10,260 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as of press time.

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