The trek was more than just an excuse to see the country and to be able to say they did it. Dan's mother died of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Steven's aunt passed away from Huntington's disease. To remember their loved ones, they wanted to do something different, and so they decided to rollerblade from coast to coast and raise money and awareness for the cure of these diseases. They created the non-profit organization In Motion for a Million and their goal was to get at least one million people to donate $1 or more.
"There were times that were really, really difficult, and mother nature threw a lot of curve balls at us," said Dan Bowen. "We had some really interesting terrain that we had to go over, but I never wanted to give up, and I knew that it was for a greater good, and it's worth it to be here."
At the start of the trek in St. Augustine, Florida, the pair began drinking Tahitian Noni® Original? donated by Tahitain Noni International to help them with energy and their recovery time. About halfway through the trek, TNI announced a new product, Tahitian Noni® Extra?, and made sure the endurance rollerbladers had it. Dan and Steven could feel the difference with the added iridoids in Extra?. They felt like they had even more energy and faster recovery times, helping them to complete the long journey.
Although Dan and Steven have finished their trek, they still want to do more. "The fight doesn't stop here," said Dan. "We are doing it to get rid of these diseases."