YORK, Pa. — Brandt Kingsley's wheels started turning many years ago.
Needing to improve his life and drop some necessary weight, he turned to a childhood love: his bike.
"If you love the life you're experiencing living, then you're a success," Kingsley said.
He met his goals, but his path changed. Kingsley took his childhood love to help kids turn a corner in their own lives by creating Pedal 4 Peace.
"We believe that through bikes and bike activities, we can bring unity in our community and inspire development," he said.
Kingsley founded the organization in 2017, with the goal of improving the lives of kids and ultimately breaking down the barriers of urban relations, and helping combat violence in communities.
"We want to take the mindset of a kid who cant ride a bike, can't accomplish much in life and we want to rejuvenate that," he explained.
In just a few short years he went from seeing a few kids a day to up to 100, offering a safe space in downtown York for kids to learn and educate others.
"Some of my guys didn't know a flat head to a Phillips head screwdriver, now they're building 20x8x4 foot launch ramps at this point," Kingsley said proudly.
After completing a junior mechanics program, students are then able to go on field trips to ride, kayak and camp.
The group also launched four competitive mountain bike teams just last year, including the first-ever York BMX Race Team.
"BMX is now an Olympic sport so there are scholarships and everything that these guys are able to get, we are hoping to get one of these guys one," Kingsley said.
Christopher Terrero could be one of them. The senior at William Penn High School said being a part of Pedal 4 Peace is about more than just having fun.
"I do show off a little bit sometimes, but I learn from my mistakes. I want the little kids to know it's ok to have fun and all that, but be safe, stay in school and do what you really need to do if you want to keep excelling and getting better at life," Terrero said.
He says he's extremely grateful for everything Kingsley has done for the community, "He's a good coach, he's also a father figure to me, he's been teaching me a lot. He's an amazing person with great energy."
Kingsley says it's kids like Terrero that make him keep on trekking.
"That's so humbling and gratifying, at the same time I love it. It's the greatest and hardest thing I have ever done. A lot of sacrifices, but as Napoleon Hill once said, 'Every great thing comes with great sacrifice,'" he said.
Kinglsey said they are always in need of financial assistance and volunteers to help them multiply good through more miles, one turn of a wheel at a time.
All over our area, there are people who are not just doing good, but multiplying good.
Every year, we honor them with the Jefferson Awards - a nationwide foundation that celebrates amazing acts of public service.