After journey across country, man's bike stolen in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA -- It was late last year when Jimmy Mulholland of Media, Delaware County, found himself at the crossroads at the age of 20.
"I was doing really bad in school. I needed something to cheer me up. I needed some self-confidence for myself, and I decided to do a bike trip across America by myself," said Mulholland.
You read that right.
On Sept. 3, Jimmy flew out to Portland, Oregon, with his bicycle, and started his 4,229-mile journey back to the East Coast.
"I biked in snow. I biked in rain. I bike in 100 degree weather. I saw it all," said Mulholland.
Along the way, he took photos - lots of photos - posting them on Instagram. And the response he received helped spark his passion for photography.
Back home, Mulholland's mom was getting inundated with comments about the beautiful pictures from family and friends.
"If he missed a day, people would actually call me or Facebook me and say, 'Why didn't we get a post from Jimmy today? We really miss his journey," said Charlene Mulholland, mother. "People were living vicariously through him."
Three months later, on Nov. 3, Jimmy Mulholland and his bike arrived in Yorktown, Virginia.
With his newly compiled portfolio, he quickly got a photography job with a women's clothing company and started developing a website to sell his prints online.
But then, last week, Jimmy locked his beloved bike at 30th Street Station, and when he returned, several hours later, it was gone.
Now, he tells us he is not looking for donations or any handouts, he simply wants his bike back.
"I had seen a lot of things, met a lot of crazy people, met a lot of awesome people, and that bike was the only thing that was there with me the whole time," said Jimmy Mulholland.
And he says, if you see his 1984 Fuji Touring Series IV, you'll know.
"It's gray with stickers on it from every single state I went through. There's no other bike like it," said Jimmy Mulholland.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.
