|
Guest Q&A: Axel Keller Read Time: 4 mins Watch Time: 4 mins  Axel Keller grew up in the Carolinas, and is now based in Bend, Oregon, where his life continues to be shaped by movement, travel, and time spent outdoors. After years of living on the road and building a life around exploration, Axel faced a major shift when autoimmune disease led to the removal of his colon in 2025. Now living with an ostomy, he is redefining what adventure looks like. In June 2026, Axel will begin Project Día por Día, starting with a 5,000 mile bikepacking journey across Europe. More than just a ride, the project is a storytelling opportunity focused on resilience, connection, and rebuilding life through movement and nature. Along the way, he hopes to meet people organically, share their stories, and explore what it means to move forward one day at a time. As he prepares for this journey, balancing training, planning non-stop logistics, and a full time job, we caught up with Axel for a quick Q&A to learn more about his story and the meaning behind Project Día por Día.  Question. You’ve spent a lot of your life moving, traveling, and being outdoors. Where did that connection to adventure first begin, and how has it evolved over time? Answer: It’s hard to pinpoint exactly, but it definitely started with my parents, especially my dad. We lived a pretty simple life at home, and most of our free time was spent outside or traveling. Since I was a kid, I’ve always felt most at home outdoors. My parents tried everything to get me to stay in, even video games, but I always found myself going back outside. There was just something about it that felt right. In middle school, I even got rid of my bed and set up a tent in my room, sleeping on the ground instead. I slept in that tent all the way until I left home in the van immediately after High School. I didn’t have the words for it back then, but I think I was already chasing something, freedom, simplicity, a life outside of walls. That feeling never left. It just grew into the life I live today.  Q. Your journey has been far from linear. How have the challenging or uncertain moments shaped the way you approach movement and the outdoors today? A: Hahaha, yeah, it definitely hasn’t been linear. But I think the real question is how movement and the outdoors shaped the way I approached those challenging moments. I was lucky to grow up with such a strong love for being outside, for nature, and for movement. So when my health took that away, I did everything I could to get it back in whatever way possible. There were a lot of days when I didn’t even have the strength to walk. But because of that connection to the outdoors, I still found ways to be in it. Even if that meant just driving somewhere and sitting by a river. I think that’s what carried me through. It shifted my mindset from focusing on what I had lost to holding on to what was still there. And now, it’s changed the way I move through the outdoors. It’s slower, more intentional, and rooted in gratitude. It’s not about pushing limits anymore, it’s about being present in the experience.  Q. “Día por Día” is a simple idea, but it carries a lot of weight. What does taking life one day at a time actually look like for you right now? A: For a long time, I was living in pain and uncertainty. It made it almost impossible to plan ahead. The only goal was to get through the day. I couldn’t think about the future, my body just wouldn’t let me. But that taught me a lot. It taught me how to be present and how to sit with where I am in each moment. Now, I feel a lot better, and I’m in a place where I can plan something big like this journey. But even while I’m looking ahead, I still carry that mindset with me. I try to stay grounded in the day in front of me and pay attention to how I’m feeling, both physically and mentally. I’m working to build something meaningful with this project, and that takes a lot. Early mornings, late nights, and balancing it all with a full time job. But taking it día por día keeps it from feeling overwhelming. It reminds me that I don’t have to have everything figured out, I just have to keep showing up each day.  Q. What drew you to take on a long-distance ride across Europe, and what does this particular journey represent for you beyond just the miles? A: At first, it wasn’t about Europe specifically. It was more about finding a way back to something I felt like I had lost. After everything I went through with my health, there was this question of what comes next. Not just physically, but in how I live my life. This was actually a trip I had planned years before I got sick, so coming back to it now carries a different meaning. A long distance ride felt like the right way to explore that "next step". It’s simple, it’s slow, and it forces you to be fully present. Riding across Europe became the framework for that idea. It gave it shape. But beyond the miles, this journey represents something much bigger for me. It’s about rebuilding and rediscovering what’s possible, even after everything changes. My goal is to figure it out, and hopefully figure it out in a way that can help others too. Living with an ostomy on the road is not easy, and it’s even less easy when you’re living off your bicycle. There’s no guide for that, so a big part of this is learning as I go and sharing it openly with others.  Q. Even though this is a solo effort, connection seems to be a big part of what you’re building. How do you hope to connect with others along the way? A: I’ll be riding solo, but ironically, connection is really at the center of all of this. The ride just creates the space for it. I want most of it to happen organically. Meeting people along the way, through conversations that aren’t forced or planned, just real moments that come from being out there. Whether that’s on the road, in small towns, or sitting somewhere and talking with someone I just met. I also hope to connect through sharing. Being open about my own experience and creating space for others to share theirs. Especially people who have gone through illness or anything that changed their life in a big way. A big part of this project is highlighting those stories. Not in a polished or perfect way, but in a real, human way. I think a lot of people go through things quietly, and if this can help even one person feel seen or understood, then it’s worth it.  Q. For someone who might be going through a difficult or uncertain time, what do you hope they see or feel when they come across your story? A: I hope they feel like they’re not alone. When you’re going through something difficult or uncertain, it can feel really isolating. Like no one else understands what you’re experiencing. If someone comes across my story and feels even a little bit seen or understood, that would mean everything to me. I also hope they see that even when life changes in ways you didn’t expect, there is still a path forward. It might look different than what you imagined, and it might take time, but it’s there. You don’t have to have everything figured out. You don’t need a big plan. Sometimes all you need is to get through today. And then do it again tomorrow ... Día por Día  Journal - Project Día por DíaComments are closed.
|