PR: Mark Schultz Completes Day 1 of his Across America Bike Tour

Rides 84 Miles Bucking 40 MPH Winds, 90 Degree Weather

Although the day started rather sublime, the ride become progressively difficult at Schultz found himself riding through 40 mile-per-hour winds, up steep inclines and in 90-degree heat. 

“That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” says Schultz. “Coming up on those last eight miles I think I pulled over about every two miles and I just yelled at myself, ‘You can do this! You CAN do this!”

Mark will be posting daily video blogs documenting his journey. Day one’s video blog outlines his day from sun-up to sundown and gives fans and supporters of the cause a first hand look at Mark on the road. He will also be stopping along the way to perform concerts featuring music from his acclaimed best-selling album, Broken & Beautiful (Word Records). More information about the Across America ride, including tour dates, video blog updates, and Mark’s progress can be found at www.markacrossamerica.org.

Local media covering the start of the journey came out Monday morning to speak with Schultz before he embarked on his trek. An interview with Schultz by the Orange County Register about his motivation for the journey and how he prepared for this two-month trip can be found at www.ocregister.com.

Schultz’s inspiration to make this 3,500-mile ride came from a visit he and his wife, Kate, made to orphanages in Mexico.  In the spring of 2006, they went on a mission trip with The James Fund, a non-profit organization founded by Family Christian Stores, to meet the needs of orphans and widows in distress.  Schultz’s own adoption drew him to explore this ministry. Seeing firsthand the harsh realities for many orphans and realizing that he could have easily been one of the boys in the orphanage, he wanted to make a difference.

Schultz’s fifth career project, Broken & Beautiful, which released last fall and debuted in the Top 5 on SoundScan’s Christian and Top 10 on the general market retail charts, marked the strongest street week of his career. After the 2005 release, Mark Schultz Live…A Night of Stories & Songs, sold Platinum and garnered Schultz his first GMA Dove award, Broken & Beautiful became one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. With his thought provoking lyrics and appealing music, Schultz’s latest effort is being heralded as his “career” album. The title track is the first multi-format hit single and No. 1 inspirational song from the album.

Lauded at No. 1 on Billboard’s “Hot Christian Adult Contemporary Songwriters” list and with eight No. 1 hits, Schultz has been honored with a 2005 Dove Award, was the centerpiece of the U.S. Army campaign “Letters From War,” was named Christian Music Today’s Male Vocalist in 2003, and was featured on the national magazine program, “48 Hours.”

For additional information on Mark Schultz, visit www.markacrossamerica.org, www.markschultzmusic.com or www.wordlabelgroup.com.

Word Records is a part of Word Label Group, a division of Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb Company. The artist roster heralds some of today's top Christian music performers and songwriters including Amy Grant, Point Of Grace, Mark Schultz, Building 429, Nicole C. Mullen and Stellar Kart. The Word Label Group leads the industry with over 50 years of music-making history.

For additional information about Mark Across America contact:  Rick Hoganson, Hoganson Media Relations, 615-459-9870, Hoganson@comcast.net