At over two-thirds of the way through his 15,000-kilometre ride, Arvid Loewen is keeping his sights set on finishing strong.

The cycling philanthropist undertook this most recent riding challenge over the summer for several milestone reasons.

In honour of the 30th anniversary of Mully Children's Family (MCF), the 70th birthday of its founder Charles Mully, Loewen and his wife's 15th year of involvement with the organization, and a total of 15,000 children rescued by MCF, Loewen thought a ride of celebration would be in order.

Mully Children's Family (MCF) is an organization that began with the mission of rescuing children from the streets in Kenya, providing them with education, a place to stay, and a new opportunity for life.

"The ride has been going very well," Loewen reports. "I'm at the 9,500 kilometres (sic)."

The cyclist says that they've stuck to their schedule closely, beginning the ride back in May and still anticipating an end-date of August 8, 2019. By that point, Loewen will have spent over two months riding.

"I'm actually doing physically very well," said the grandfather. "I've actually done this a few times and it's a little more sane than some of the other races that we've done because, at the end of the day, there is an end to every day."

Loewen spends about 10 hours off his bike each night, a contrast to more constant rides he's completed in the past.

"That means I get some sleep, I'm up at about 3:45 in the morning... I'm doing as good as I could possibly hope for and maybe even a little bit better."

Even with over 9,000 kilometres already completed, Loewen knows there are still great distances ahead of him during the remainder of this ride.

"It's physically very difficult, but it's also mentally very challenging," he shared. "There are some highs, but there are still so many lows in between."

Loewen says that the more he and his wife invest into MCF, the more he feels as if they're being attacked. "Satan obviously does not like what we're doing because 90 per cent of the children that Mully rescues accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour."

"Middle third syndrome" is the mindset Loewen says he finds most difficult in the course of a ride like the one he is currently doing. "I'm so far into an event that I can't turn back, yet at the end of the day if I'm in 5,000 kilometres and I think I have to do another 10,000 kilometres, I can't even comprehend that that is physically or mentally possible."

That stage, which Loewen hopes to be finished with soon, is particularly hard to navigate because of the bouts of doubt that accompany it. The cyclist says questions of if he can finish can sometimes morph into questions of why he has begun in the first place, a battle of nagging thoughts that can cloud his focus and purpose.

"It's definitely an opportunity for building character in a very, very defined way," says Loewen.

The ability to refocus on where he is going and why he decided to undertake the task itself in the first place is one way Loewen navigates those mental struggles.

"I have chosen not to look the other way because that is what God has placed on my heart. I ride one kilometre at a time and for me, mentally, that represents one child that has first of all been given hope... and in most cases, that is one child who has accepted Christ."

Loewen is also looking forward to the events at the conclusion of his ride, a celebration where others will join him over his final stretch for a bike parade into the North Kildonan Mennonite Brethren Church (NKMB) parking lot. Once they've arrived, a full program of festivities will begin.

Excitingly, the three children from MCF that Loewen brought with him on his first ride for the organization 15 years ago will be present to share their stories, what life was like living at MCF, and what they are currently up to.

The young girl, now in her teens, who first touched Loewen's heart and prompted him to become a partner with MCF will also attend the event on August 8, along with Ndondo Mulli, the daughter of Charles Mully.

"We're going to have a fabulous time of celebration," shared Loewen.