GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge 2025

The GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge is a physical and social movement for acceptance, bringing people together to MOVE in support of global acceptance for all! Who will you MOVE for?

Follow along with the ride: https://www.instagram.com/domsmith2/

I’m biking 321 miles from Cleveland to Cincinnati in memory of my Aunt Amy Jo Smith. I’m raising money for Gigi’s Playhouse Cleveland which was instrumental in her life. 

Biking and Amy: Two of Amy's greatest loves were biking on her sky blue (like the lake) bicycle and spending time at Gigi's Playhouse. For Amy, her bicycle gave her the independence and freedom to decide how to spend her day. She used the bike for many purposes including commuting to work, grabbing some 23 cent pizzas, and supporting any restaurant where she could watch what was happening at Gigi's. 

Gigi's Playhouse Impact: 10 years ago Gigi's Playhouse opened essentially across the street from Amy's house. It was an incredibly positive influence on Amy's life. She would have lived there if they had let her. She made many genuine friendships there and learned to be a better version of herself. She spoke about Gigi's Playhouse's impact on her life on many occasions (here, here, and here). When Amy died, I was amazed by the outpouring of love from people in the community who had met her while she was riding her bike and people who had met her through Gigi's. I've heard parents of children with Down Syndrome speak about how meeting Amy gave them the confidence that their child could grow up to have a fulfilling life. 

My Goal: I have wanted to bike from Cleveland to Cincinnati for over 15 years. It was something that I first discussed when I was living with Amy and my Grandparents during the summer while attending college. It has been a dream of mine for years. This year, things were starting to come together, and I realized it is almost exactly 321 miles from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. That was the motivation I finally needed to make this dream happen. I will ride that distance following the Ohio to Erie Trail at the end of July in 3 days.

Amy was someone who always had big dreams and was stubborn enough to achieve many of them. She wanted to go to film school, become a director, and have her own apartment. 

I hope that you will join me in supporting the work of Gigi's Playhouse. I hope that you will join me in making a pledge to be accepting, generous, and kind.

Note: The picture is from the Dash for Down Syndrome 3.21 mile race that Gigi's Playhouse hosts every June. I am also running that race with my sister, Catherine Bous, and other family members.