When Donna Minter, class of 1976, first set off on a spring break bicycle trip around Lake Okeechobee at 18 years old, she had no idea she was planting the seeds of a lifelong journey. Now, decades later—at age 67—she is riding across the country to act on behalf of the planet and future generations.
Raised in the heart of the Mennonite tradition, Donna’s love for adventure took root during her time at Bethany Christian Schools, where she experienced the encouragement of faculty who modeled lives of faith in action. Her formative years included unique opportunities like winter backpacking trips in the Smoky Mountains and January term explorations into photography—experiences that shaped her belief in blending conviction with creativity.
It was during her senior year at Bethany that Donna joined her first bicycle touring trip through a Mennonite organization called Outspoken. “That trip changed my life,” she says. “It was the first time I saw the road as a place of freedom, community, and possibility.” After a three-week summer ride from Kansas to California, the dream of one day biking coast to coast began to take hold.
Now, Donna is making that dream real.
Teaming up with long-time biking partner Becky Bolander—a fellow cyclist she met nearly 30 years ago during a ride in Israel—Donna is in the midst of a cross-country ride that serves a greater mission. Donna’s journey is fueled by her commitment to climate action. Through Climate Ride, a nonprofit that helps participants fundraise for environmental causes through endurance events, Donna is hoping to raise $500,000 for organizations tackling the climate crisis.
Her climate activism is not separate from her professional path. Donna founded and led the Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute, a trauma healing organization, and after her retirement in 2023, she joined a small team working to develop “Climate STAR”—a trauma-informed training specifically addressing the psychological toll of the climate crisis. “People don’t want to talk about what’s happening to our earth because it’s so frightening,” Donna explains. “But in STAR training, we always said: you’ve got to name it to tame it.”
Her love for the earth, she says, has always felt like worship. “Being outdoors, it’s like a constant worship service. When I’m on my bike, I feel that connection—God’s presence in the beauty around me.” As she rides, she’s also memorizing the Sermon on the Mount. “You are the salt of the earth,” she recites, holding tightly to the idea that even a small effort can have lasting impact. “We may be little, but we’re mighty.”
Perhaps most powerful is what fuels her from within—her grandchildren. With three grandchildren (and a fourth on the way), Donna rides with their future in mind. Her ten-year-old granddaughter recently told her, “Grammy, I want to do adventures with you.” That was all the confirmation Donna needed. “I want to be a good ancestor,” she says. “I want them to have the chance to live with the same joy, freedom, and sense of wonder that I’ve had.”
From the hills of Florida to the trails of the Smokies, from Bethany Christian Schools to the byways of a cross-country trek, Donna’s story is an example of one’s capacity to inspire change. “What’s the next indicated step?” she often asks—a guiding question that has carried her through decades of meaningful work and into this new chapter of advocacy, adventure, and hope.
As she rides, Donna carries with her a vision not just of where the road leads, but of what it means to live a life rooted in action, anchored by faith, and propelled by love—for the earth, for justice, and for the generations still to come. You can learn more about Donna’s journey on Climate Ride or follow along at Facebook @Grammy Ride and Instagram @grammyclimateride.