A Bedford woman is on the journey of a lifetime, taking a 3,629-mile bicycle tour across the country to raise money for charity.

Jeannie Benton, 51, began the trip in Astoria, Ore., on June 21. She plans to arrive in Portsmouth 11 states and 50 days later, on Aug. 10. The ride will not only give her a chance to pass through cities and towns from Casper, Wyo., to Niagara Falls, N.Y., but will also help raise money for Operation Life Transformed, a nonprofit that provides access to educational and career training opportunities for military spouses and caregivers of those wounded in war.

“It is an honor and privilege in life to take one’s strength and passion and put it to good use for the benefit of a greater cause. I’ve had a dream for over 12 years, and the time has finally come to see it come true!” Benton wrote in a fundraising letter circulated to friends, family and coworkers.

Benton will ride with an “America By Bicycle” tour with 60 other riders, across the northern tier of the United States. The trip will average 75 miles a day, with five rest days.

“While this is a great challenge for me, I have trained with this goal in mind for a long time and embraced the thought of a ‘greater victory’ in helping my fellow Americans in some significant way,” Ben ton wrote.

A long-time cycling enthusiast, Benton has long wanted to ride across the country, and was looking for the right charity with which to partner, said Kristina Saul, outreach program manager at Operation Life Transformed.

“This is something she’s been wanting to do for quite some time,” Saul said.

Benton, who has lived in town for 32 years, is a paraprofessional at Bedford High School, where other staff and students have been aware of her training efforts.

“I think they really are excited for her to have the opportunity to do this cross-country bike trip,” said George Edwards, principal of Bedford High School. “At the same time, they really admire the fact that she’s worked so hard and trained so hard to be able to do it. That’s a long way.”

He said the school community is also thankful she used the opportunity to raise money for a “very noble cause.”

“I think people are very thankful to see that she’s taken the opportunity to raise money for servicemen and women,” he said.

People can follow along with Benton’s journey online, at www.operationlifetrans formed.org/ra.html and http://twitter.com/LifeTransformed, where her daily mileage is posted, or on the organization’s Twitter account. Donations can be made in her name on the Web site, and gifts are available for various levels of funds donated.

Benton will make a stop in Manchester in August before reaching the coast.

“They’ve got to be psyched when they dip their tires in the Pacific, and then they’ll have the opportunity to dip their tires in the Atlantic when they get here,” Edwards said.