Mohammed (Mo) didn’t think twice when his friend and mentor, Tobias, told him about the 1,000 km (621.3 miles) ‘Coronaride’ happening in a few weeks. “Sure, I’m in,” Mo said, regardless of the fact he’d only started riding road bikes several months earlier. Though this type of challenge is often reserved for experienced cyclists, Mo was eager to participate and – through cycling – to help people impacted by the new coronavirus.

At the time of the ride, Mo, a friend of OM who lives in Germany, didn’t personally know anyone who had fallen ill with the virus, but his sister in Syria had seen it devastate families. “In Syria, it isn’t like in Germany where everyone has insurance. In Germany if you don’t go to work, there’s an office that can provide [financial] help,” he explained. Whereas in his homeland, “when you don’t work, you don’t get any money, and if you work, then you [might] get coronavirus.