CLARKSVILLE — A local church recently had a special guest come stay the night. Arriving on Sunday, William Galloway made a stop at the Clarksville United Methodist Church during his ride across America on his recumbent trike.

Kathy Rager, treasurer of the church, told AIM Media Midwest that Galloway made a stop on his 14th trip across the country to raise awareness for those who suffer traumatic brain injury.

“When William was 43 years old he was hit by a drunk driver and suffered a brain injury that would leave him unable to return to his truck driving career and unable to obtain work elsewhere due to memory issues,” said Rager.

Galloway, from New Jersey, told Rager he has lived in and out of group homes, assisted living, and low-income housing, but it was not the life for him. He told Rager that he always liked bikes, so on his first outing he set out on an adventure to ride his bicycle to a place called the Amen Clinic in Bellevue, Washington, where he would seek help.

“He began to travel and people became curious as to what he was doing. With that growing interest, people began to speak to others about his journey, and soon William was telling the world about how he is coping with the aftermath of traumatic brain injury,” said Rager. “The news of his journey has traveled as well and now William is a rolling advocate for people dealing with traumatic brain injury. William is driven to undo the stigma that follows this kind of injury.”

Galloway has faced many challenges, according to Rager, while on his adventure. He’s been run off the road, almost froze to death out West, and had his gear stolen off his bike.

He says his biggest challenge is knowing where he is going to stop for the night, having spent many nights outside beside his bike. The most positive experiences he’s had are the kind things that people do unexpectedly.

“He lightens up as he talks about a gentleman whose wife suffered a traumatic brain injury and how his journey inspired them,” said Rager. “That is what keeps him rolling. When asked what would you tell someone who has suffered a brain injury, he said, ‘If you fail, try again.’”

Galloway’s next stop was scheduled to be Xenia where he was to visit a bike shop for some much-needed items for his trike.

Rager advised Galloway relies on donations for his journey and bike repairs. If you want to help him raise awareness and keep him rolling, you can donate to his PayPal account at paypal.me/williamg799 or GoFundMe at gofund.me/ec924c9c.

If you want to ride along with him you can find him on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.