posted 11/03/2025
This story is a part of a series of missionary contributions where you’ll hear more about their “why” for defending and celebrating life with Biking for Babies.
Anna Marie was a first-time rider missionary from Illinois who was a part of the 2025 Michigan Team.
Give me a quick biography: who is Anna Marie Gebert?
AMG: Hi, my name is Anna Marie Gebert. I am a 34 year old wife of 10 years and a stay at home mother of 4 children. We live in Crystal Lake, Illinois and attend St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. My background is in social work, formerly working for the Catholic Diocese in Peoria. There I worked for Catholic Charities Respect Life Ministry and their St. Vincent De Paul Society. I also have a background in ABA therapy, working with children with special needs in a classroom setting as well as in home therapy. I love to sing in our parish choir and serve as one of two volunteer librarians at our children’s (liberal arts, classical Catholic) school. I love using my gifts and talents to help others, whether that be my own family, spending time listening to a friend or neighbor, or making a meal for another mother who recently had a baby ( I have a passion for cooking and baking).
Was there a specific moment or event in your life that made you passionate about the pro-life movement? How has your understanding of the dignity of human life developed through your Christian faith journey?
AMG: I grew up as a cradle Catholic, attending a Catholic grammar school, praying and going to mass regularly, but it wasn’t until I went away to college and got involved with the Catholic Newman center on Campus that I started learning the “ whys” of our faith. During this time, is really when I began learning more about the pro-life movement, what it means to be pro-life, and just how important it is in our culture. In college I had the unique opportunity to be discipled by a FOCUS missionary. Together we read JPII’s Theology of the Body (for beginners) and I deepened my understanding of how human dignity is an inherent gift from God; and how we are created in His image and likeness. I learned that each person has intrinsic value along with how we are created to love and to be loved and to share that love with others. I started joining my peers in praying outside the abortion clinic, getting to know people, learning their stories, and sharing life with them. Then leading a Bible study and bringing a few friends into discipleship and to share in Christ’s love.
What was it about Biking for Babies that captured your heart and spirit enough to say yes to riding this year?
AMG: I thought Biking for Babies was the coolest thing ever since I heard about it back in college (2012). Shout out to Mike Schafer, my campus minister at the Newman Center where I first heard about it and Stacey (Hague) Gomez who was my Totus Tuus missionary partner in 2013 while also training and doing the National Ride. I followed along for so many years, watching a few other friends and then my husband, Jack join as Biking for Babies missionaries. I think what I loved most is that it started as a “how can we challenge ourselves and do something we love to help others?” specifically with the culture of life in mind! The reason why I finally chose to join this year is because it was the first time I wasn’t pregnant or nursing since getting married in 2015! I had to jump at the opportunity.
Biking for Babies has been a family affair for you guys! What’s it been like being in this mission together with your family—give me the highs, the lows, and everything in between. 
AMG: Yes, my husband Jack has been a Biking for Babies missionary for the past five years, this year serving as one of the team leader coordinators. Honestly, every year it’s been a challenge for different reasons, but one that is so worth it! When Jack first started as a missionary, it brought me so much joy to see him use his passion for cycling towards this pro-life mission. It was so fun to join at the end for the celebration of life that first year, after seeing all the time and effort it took him to get there. The next two years Jack served as a team leader and rider. That was even more of a time commitment. Lots of video and phone chats with missionaries, many hours training on the bike, and fundraising letters and thank you letters. I used to say that it felt like a part time job on top of his already full-time job as an engineer. Sometimes when I was tired at the end of the day and having to do the kids’ bedtime on my own because Jack would have what felt like another long Biking for Babies call or doing Saturday mornings and Wednesday nights on my own because Jack would be off with the local group ride training… I would pray for all those mothers the mission helps to serve. Those mothers who may be single and having to do it all on their own all the time. Oh I offered up a lot of prayers for those mamas when I felt alone too. I too offered up my small sufferings for the mission. Besides those lows, there have also been many highs and so much grace in being a part of the mission. We have always been partnered with our same local pregnancy resource center, so it has been fun to build a relationship with them over the years. We’ve visited their centers and attended their galas. Jack has even spoken at their gala too. The last time I visited our pregnancy resource center was last week and I was able to bring all of our kids to get a tour as well. I think it has been such a great opportunity for our children to be a part of. This mission has shown our family how prayer and sacrifice can help others. It has helped us to be more confident in our abilities, showing our children that we can do hard things, and asking God to provide and not be in control when things may seem unknown.
Pivoting a little bit, your team experienced a lot this year! What was your favorite memory or experience from the formation program this year (including pre-ride, National Ride, and post-ride)? What was your favorite part of being a rider missionary?
AMG: From the formation process, I really looked forward to our monthly video calls. It was a chance to get to know our team and hear the high and lows we were all experiencing. Sometimes during training, you may feel like you’re doing it alone, so coming together each month for fellowship and prayer was a boost of encouragement. Along with formation, I really loved participating in the training ride weekend. That experience really helped me gain a better feel for what a day on the National Ride would be like. I highly recommend that missionaries participate in a training ride, plus it was so fun and also was really hard!
My favorite experience from the National Ride was day three, our hardest day! Day three I felt so tired at the start, then we broke out the speaker around mile 30 and we hopped on a bike path. We had a smooth road, we were drafting in two’s really well, there was some shade from the clouds and the trees and we were just cruising along as we listened to music. We prayed a rosary and finished it right when we turned off the bike path! Support Crew had an awesome lunch of fried chicken ready for us, which tasted so good! The last 30 miles were rough. We had a couple big hills that I was so proud of myself for climbing. We were tired and stressed to make it to Mass on time. One of our rider’s friends joined us at the perfect time. He helped us navigate the roads when we were unsure we’d make it on time. Support Crew was able to get Mass pushed back a little for us to finish and we climbed this really big hill, helping one another out to make it to the end. This day really felt like we had to communicate well with another.
What has your partnership with your pregnancy resource center meant to you? How has it impacted how you project yourself as a pro-life woman and mother yourself?
AMG: Being partnered with our local pregnancy resource center (First Way Pregnancy Center) has really been a blessing. Both our parish and the school our children attend also do things to support this center. We have been able to build a relationship with the director, attend some events like their annual gala, offer prayers and encouragement, and we were able to recommend First Way’s services to our neighbor’s granddaughter who is a single woman expecting her first child.
What advice would you share with other young parents about joining Biking for Babies as missionaries, especially if they are on the fence due to the time commitment and integration of formation into your current state in life?
AMG: Inspirationally speaking, the most important thing is for parents to be present to our children, but also for parents to take part in building the world that they want their children to live in. Part of our job is to participate in a better world view and being a part of this mission does just that, by aiming to renew the culture of life. Plus it’s a beautiful witness for your children to see!
Practically speaking, living order, communicating, and having a shared google calendar is very important. Biking for Babies has been a big time commitment for our family. If we didn’t schedule our formation calls and training and take turns supporting one another and caring for our children, it would not have been possible. Your spouse is an honorary missionary because they too make sacrifices that help the mission. If you’re on the fence, you can always reach out to us, we’d be willing to chat! But challenge yourself to do something hard. You won’t regret it!
Rapid fire: 1) what was your favorite NR snack? 2) what was your favorite stop for this year?, and 3) what’s the best music to listen to while training?
AMG: My favorite National Ride snack was cheese and chives sandwich crackers and chex mix! Those snacks were a change from all the soft and sweet stroops, cliff and fig bars, and fruit snacks. It’s so hard to pick a favorite stop because they were all so unique, but I think I’d have to say that our stop in Virden, Illinois was very heartwarming. We rode into this little farm town of about 3,500 people with not much around it. What was lacking in size was definitely made up in community. We were welcomed with open arms and big hearts for their faith and the culture of life. The sweetest people shared stories of their families, parish, and community. They treated us as their own and the love was felt and appreciated.
Anna’s desire to challenge herself for the mission and make sacrifices should help us to reflect on how we too can challenge ourselves for an important cause. We hope that you, reader, are inspired to do hard things!
We are proud that Anna is a Biking for Babies missionary, for life!
You can find similar impact stories throughout our blog.
