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Ten years ago, I was working for a charity. I was helping people with mental health issues like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and physical injuries. Providing empowerment courses to predominently veterans, we also surfing to provide an escape, a way to leave their troubles on the land for a few hours and be totally in the present. Surfing became a tool to manage those demons, at least for a little while, but not always. What I didn't know was that whilst I was helping others, my own mental well-being was seriously deteriorating.  The stress and anxiety of co-running a charity became very real, and thankfully a time in my life that is now behind me. But when I needed help, it wasn't surfing that helped me, not then. Surfing seemed to have taken everything from me, or thats what I thought. All my energy and emotions went towards helping others, whilst I suffered myself and my family bore the brunt of it, as is usually the case. Everytime I surfed, I found myself not enjoying the ocean, I had nothing left to give her and at that time, felt she had nothing to give me. 

Then when I needed it most I rediscoverd bikes. BMX racing at first with my son. BMX has always been in my life, since the way back in the early 80's, and a brief forray into BMX retail in the mid 90's, and then I fully found surfing and bikes were kind of left behimd. But in 2014, BMX Racing changed something. A switch went off, and another came on. Bikes were helping my mind. I had focus, clarity, and direction. I had sporting goals, I relished the training, the progression, and I wanted to succeed. After four years racing, and a periond of injury and illness, I bought another Mountain Bike, and life got even better. I could really escape. I found 'My Mountain'. Our local hill where I could spend hours, away from everyone and anything, and when I returned, I always felt better. 

I eventually realised that Surfing never left me, and my love of the ocean has grown even deeper since then with cold water swimming, belly boarding, hand planing, there are so many ways to enjoy the water, but back then Surfing reminded me of stress, it didn't help it. I needed a little time out. However, it was bikes that really saved me from some pretty dark emotions.  

Today, Rider Resilience, a brilliant film hit YouTube. A film about bikes, positivity and moving forward, I watched it immediately and I'm sharing it here for you to watch. These characters are truly inspiring and I'm sure their stories will resonate with many people. If you ride, you'll get it.
If you don't please think about it. Enjoy.