‘The reason I’m not afraid’

to the United Nations.

Boelter’s stepdad, Eric Holey, and his mother, Roxanne Litchfield-Holey, said his exposure to other people and cultures has made him a global citizen.

“Seeing what’s happening in Yemen, and especially Syria, it just makes him so terribly sad, and he wants to do something about it,” Holey said by phone.

Boelter said his focus on global food shortages rose from an article he read about children in Yemen.

“They were eating garbage in order to stave off hunger and starvation,” he said. “I don’t know why that specific news article struck me so much more than a lot of others, but for some reason it just stuck with me.”

But Boelter’s reaction to want to care for the world’s most vulnerable is molded into his character, said his girlfriend Sarah Stutzke, who lives in Tacoma, Wash.

“He has a very gentle soul, and he really cares about all people, especially people who are more vulnerable to begin with,” she said by phone.

That’s evident from his decision to move back to Eau Claire from his postgraduation home in Tacoma several months ago to care for his mother after she suffered a stroke.

“He’s very empathetic, and he could imagine what she was feeling,” Stutzke said. “He moved back to ensure that she received the highest quality of care.”

Litchfield-Holey said she was surprised that he would uproot his life to

Boelter’s ride of choice is the Surly Cross-Check, which he bought in February from Eau Claire Bike and Sport for a discounted price after trading in a snow board, unicycle and old bike.

His bike is already fitted with the 14 pounds of gear he is bringing with him, including one change of clothing, a tarp tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag and bike maintenance tools.

He admits he probably hasn’t trained nearly enough, putting on maybe 100 miles since February. Without much time to train, he bikes to and from his jobs at Noodles and Company and Eau Claire Downtown Coffee-ECDC.

Adamant that all the money he raises will go toward Save the Children, he has held those two jobs to save $6,000 — though he anticipates he won’t spend it all.

He has mapped out his journey, which will follow the Adventure Cycling Association TransAmerica Trail.

“Even if I inspire one person to do one good thing that I know came from this trip and what other people have seen me do, the entire trip will be worth it,” he said.

He is sure he won’t get homesick and is comforted that he’ll have his cellphone with him.

“And there’s people everywhere,” he said.

He’ll find refuge occasionally with help from a website that links bikers to places to stay, which he’ll rely on in addition to camping.

“I’ll find kind people out there, I just know,” he said.

Safety isn’t a great concern for Boelter, who said he has confidence in his ability to approach each person with an open mind.

“I can see how people would be afraid for me in that some people believe that a lot of people have pretty radical viewpoints or ideologies,” he said. “But I think the thing that I have so much confidence in is that I believe deep down we are all compassionate human beings at our core. That’s the reason I’m not afraid.”

While his mother said it’s a little scary from their perspective, the couple agreed that Boelter receives nothing but love, support and pride from them.

“He just wants to make the world a better place,” Holey said.