Woman raising money for charity by biking Lake Michigan

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Chicago woman has started her trek to bike around Lake Michigan. She's retracing her steps of another go around the lake's perimeter.

Jenn Gibbons would have nogtten back on her bike if she wasn't ready. She, along with 30 other cyclists, is riding around Lake Michigan to raise money for a great cause. She is also using this trip to overcome some past traumas.

In 2012, Gibbons was rowing alone on Lake Michigan to raise money for a charity she founded called ROW, which stands for "Recovery On Water," a rowing group of cancer survivors. On that trip, while she was docked in Michigan, a man allegedly tried to sexually assault her. She got away and has spent two years recovering and now says she's ready to take back the lake.

"I'm really excited, you know. I'm not on my own, I'm with this amazing group of people. To see them this morning all lining up by the fountain was overwhelming. I feel safe, I feel strong, I feel great," Gibbons said.

The group will travel through Michigan and come back down through Wisconsin. Gibbons hopes to return to Chicago on August 24. The goal is to raise enough money to build a boathouse on the south branch of the Chicago River for the ROW cancer survivors' team.

Read Gibbons' blog documenting her bike trip around Lake Michigan at http://bike4row.org.