For Pro Racer Don Wickstrum, Driving is Ministry
By Movieguide® Contributor
Racing Pastor Don Wickstrum shares his experience of racing the Pike’s Peak summit and the journey it took to get him there.
Wickstrum came to faith in his sophomore year of college. He had initially set out to disprove Christianity but found that he couldn’t prove it wrong.
“Three to six months before I accepted Christ [I had] what I call a moral dilemma,” he said. “‘Okay, I admit it, the Bible is true, this religion’s legit, but I don’t know that I want to give my life to it.'”
A few weeks later, while working with a mechanical preheater in the middle of the night, Wickstrum realized that the 800-degree heat that he felt from the preheater didn’t compare with what is waiting for him if he didn’t turn to the truth.
“I remember just telling God, ‘God, I recognize I have not done life anything near what you require or ask or want. I do recognize and I do believe that Jesus Christ is who He says He is, and that He died on the cross for my sins, and that you rose Him from the dead, defeating death and sin, so that I may know life,’” he recalled.
In 2018, Wickstrum was running a successful robotics company, however, his entire life would change with a cancer diagnosis. He was forced to sell his business so he would have the time and energy to undergo treatment for his disease.
“When I went down and saw [my doctor] he said, ‘you’ve got a year. If things don’t change, you’ve got a year.’ [My wife] had two older kids, and we waited 14 years to have a daughter,” Wickstrum said. “I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know that I want that much,’ you know, I want more.”
Amid this sobering diagnosis, a friend suggested to Wickstrum that he does something on his bucket list: race Pike’s Peak – a dream of his since he was a kid. While he was initially hesitant, Wickstrum prayed about it and felt that God was opening the door for him to get involved in the race.
Wickstrum’s first two years racing Pikes Peak, 2019 and 2020, both resulted in a crash. Through these disappointments and failures, Wickstrum felt the Lord calling him to continue on this project and return to the mountain.
While he was able to finish the race in 2021, the track had been cut short due to weather conditions, and the course did not end on the summit of Pike’s Peak. Wickstrum’s desire had always been to summit the peak, and 2021 did not fulfill that desire and he continued to feel the Lord calling him back.
While racing is the draw of this event, Wickstrum also uses them as an opportunity to minister to others. Before the race, thousands of people come to meet the racers and celebrate the event. During that time, Wickstrum connects with people and shares the Gospel with them.
In 2022, Wickstrum was finally able to summit the Peak. He hopes that his story will encourage others to follow their dreams and find hope no matter how hopeless their situation may seem.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
