The Shared Experience

On the newest episode of “The Shared Experience Podcast,” hosts Zorth and Gary interview 7-time Pi Alpha and Nu Phi Society member, Ruben Talavera, Eta Omega (New Mexico State University), who completed Journey of Hope in 2006 as a crew member and then cycled Gear Up Florida in 2007, 2009, 2019, 2020 and 2022. Since his retirement of summer events (unless his fellow Glo Bros ask him to run it back for another summer), Ruben has been serving the Lowe's associate disability community as a founding member and leader of the A.B.L.E. (A Better Life For Everyone) Business Resource Group, which works to create an inclusive and inspiring culture that empowers and enables people of all abilities.

In this episode, you'll learn how Ruben was introduced to the Journey of Hope while living in New Mexico, how The Ability Experience needed to pivot to host a virtual Gear Up Florida and Journey of Hope during the COVID pandemic in 2020 and what he considers "3 A.M. friends".

On the newest episode of “The Shared Experience Podcast,” hosts Zorth and Gary interview Pi Alpha Austin Gothard (Iota Nu, Mississippi State University), who completed Gear Up Florida as a cyclist in 2022, led the TransAmerica team as Project Manager in 2023 and will be cycling Gear Up Florida a second time in 2024. Austin will also be a Leadership Consultant for Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity in 2024.

In this episode, you'll learn how Austin experienced both sides of a summer event: as a crew member and as a cyclist!

Welcome to episode 14! On the newest episode of “The Shared Experience Podcast,” hosts Zorth and Gary interview Pi Alpha and Team AbEx Ambassador, Jeremy Jones (Alpha Gamma, University of Oklahoma), who completed Journey of Hope as a cyclist in 1998, 2001 and as project manager in 2009. 

Jeremy has walked across Spain, biked around New Zealand, was a semi-finalist for the show "Survivor," completed an Ironman triathlon, worked for the Today Show, traveled to 6 continents, qualified for the Boston Marathon, served a mission in the Amazon, and won a male pageant since completing Journey of Hope.

Welcome to episode 13! On this episode of “The Shared Experience Podcast,” hosts Zorth and Gary interview 1997 Journey of Hope North Route cyclist, managing director at Merrill Lynch and current AbEx board member, Michael Davis. 

Learn how Michael’s Journey of Hope experience led to him hosting the Inaugural Empire State Ride in New York, and saying YES to more adventures like hiking Mount Kilimanjaro in 2024.

Welcome to episode 12, featuring Rob Raesemann from the Zeta Zeta chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. In this episode, hosts Zorth and Gary talk with Rob about being a 6x Pi Alpha, his involvement for the AbEx Challenge: Gate River Run and the future of the Zeta Zeta Chapter.

A snippet about Rob:

"Rob's initiation into Pi Kappa Phi over 35 years ago set him on a path he could never have imagined. He feels lucky to have joined the only fraternity that could provide him with the types of opportunities Pi Kappa Phi has.

Rob started volunteering for the fraternity as a District Counselor in 2002, which led to attending Pi Kappa Phi’s Supreme Chapter in Washington, D.C. While in D.C., Rob attended the Journey of Hope arrival for the first time. When he learned alumni could participate in Gear Up Florida, he immediately purchased a bike, and applied for his first summer event in 2003. Rob has been active with the Ability Experience for over 20 years!"

On this episode of #TheSharedExperience, our host Zorth Pilonieta sits down with Ryan Thibodaux, Gamma Iota (LSU). Learn how Ryan is balancing family, his dental practice, and playing in one of New Orleans' top bands all while taking on the challenge of riding segments of the Journey of Hope South Route in the wake of COVID-19.

"Living in a wheelchair is never easy, but no one said life was easy."

Kyle Pease, Eta Delta (Kennesaw State) is a four-time Iron Man and co-founder of the Kyle Pease Foundation. Listen in as Kyle sheds light on his journey as a competitive athlete and how he continues to push the envelope to inspire and motivate us all.

Chael Williams, Theta Alpha (Southern Mississippi) is a 2019 Journey of Hope South Route cyclist. Join us for our first episode as our host, Zorth Pilonieta chats with Chael about his unique experience with The Ability Experience, and what being a Pi Kappa Phi means to him.