Food Truck Dream

Hello,

My name is Javier, aka "Hungry Guy On A Bicycle" and you may have heard about me from my recent appearance on Netflix's survival competition series called OUTLAST but you might not know how I came to be the way I am. So here's my story...

Perspectives change from time to time. Often this change isn’t brought on willingly. Sometimes change is forced upon us. It’s our reaction to change that defines us.

Change was thrust upon me February 3rd 2010 in a most gruesome of circumstances. My legs were crushed in a car crash caused by a foolish drunk driver.

As I hung upside down trapped in death’s embrace of twisted steel, I thought of all the beauty I had been able to experience in my short life. Surprisingly, I couldn’t remember any of the heartache. I only thought of the great moments I shared with friends and family, the laughs, the hugs, the smells and meals I had enjoyed.

Doctors were able to save my legs, but it would be my responsibility to pick up the pieces of what remained of my broken life.

Throughout my difficult recovery it was my stories that kept me pushing past the pain. My stories kept me sane. Tales of youthful foolishness. Distant memories of a curious boy smitten by wanderlust. I was truly blessed with wonderful experiences.

As soon as I could stand, I immediately began working on getting strong enough to get back onto my bicycle with the goal of reliving, revisiting and retasting all the beauty I had previously took for granted.

This was the defining moment of my young adult life. The catalyst that changed my perspective forever.

Things I had previously thought of as important or essential, no longer mattered. I faced my own mortality and was humbled by how fragile my body truly was.

The bicycle became my salvation. It became a tool that would allow me to overcome physical, financial and geographical limitations. For the only true currency we have in this world is our time and I refused to waste any of my remaining time on things that make me unhappy.

Cycling makes me happy. Exploring makes me happy. Good food makes me happy. So I decided to combine all three and explore the world on my bicycle.

I grew stronger with every bicycle adventure and I passed through many different landscapes which forced me to learn how to survive in the wild with only the gear I was carrying. I began asking local people for advice on what to eat in their region and when people saw me cycling through a desolate landscape or rolling into their small village atop a +14,000 foot high mountain range, they came out to chat with me. I shared stories with people of my travels by bicycle and they in turn shared their food and their knowledge of the land they call home.

Now at the age of 43 with 18yrs of international cycling experience behind me... I'm trying to raise enough funds to purchase a food trailer. I'd like to to combine all the incredible recipes that I have learned from cycling the globe and bring them to a community near you.

The funds I hope to raise with this GoFundMe are to purchase a food trailer produced in Seattle, Washington by a company called Arete Food Trailers. I'm interested in the 14.7ft Streamliner Model which costs $23,999.

I had hoped to use my winnings from Netflix's OUTLAST survival competition to start this food trailer business. Unfortunately I didn't win the cash but I'm very happy to have not compromised my character. I'd appreciate any help you can give me to get this business started.

Best Regards

Javier Colón

@hungryguyonabicycle