This Mother’s Day, entrepreneur Mary Beall Adler, owner of Georgetown Bagelry for more than 25 years, will hit the road on a cross-country bike tour to raise money for globalbike, inc., a nonprofit connecting Tanzanian women to vital resources through bicycles. An avid cyclist and mother of six in a blended family, Adler will undertake this ride to help women around the world achieve health, happiness and success.
“I know firsthand how difficult it is to achieve any measure of success when the deck is stacked against you,” Adler says. “This cross-country ride is a daunting task, but I can’t wait to get started because I know I’m riding for something great: helping women rise out of poverty and make a better life for themselves by the simple act of providing them with bicycles.”
Adler faced her own share of personal and financial difficulties to get where she is today, as recounted in her book, Who Scooped My Bagel: One Woman’s Story of Love, Loss and Success (Advantage Media Group, 2013). Against all odds and without any formal business training, she took the failing Georgetown Bagelry and made it a resounding success. It is now widely regarded as the best bagel bakery south of New York City, and Adler has leveraged her expertise to become an in-demand women’s leadership authority and creativity coach to other professionals.
Adler and her team of 20 cyclists plan to set out this Mother’s Day, May 8, on a Cervélo road bike ride covering 3,415 miles across 14 states.
“globalbike combines everything great about group cycling and helps raise women out of poverty by connecting them to resources we take for granted in the U.S. – vital things like healthcare, education and even business opportunities,” says Adler, who has trained for several months to tackle the globalbike challenge. Adler hopes to inspire other women to face their fears head on and unapologetically chase their dreams, whether on a bike or not. If you’d like to donate to Mary’s globalbike challenge, please visit her Crowdrise campaign page.