On the same day that the capital was stormed while the House and Senate were certifying the 2020 election, Stephen and I were scheduled to link back up with Connor Ryan and hear about the Break The (BI)cycle ride. We were stunned. Wondering if we should we carry on with the podcast or reschedule? It is easy to freeze or doom scroll news and social media, but ultimately we want to put something positive into the world. So we sat down with Connor and and we are glad we did!
What follows in the episode is a recap of Connor’s ride. Dodging the wildfires in the across the West, Connor started at the Wind River Reservation and finished at the Indigenous owned Bow & Arrow Brewing Company in New Mexico. We talk about the physical toll Connor endured with a massive ramp up in miles. Netting close to 1,000! All the while, Conner was keeping community as the theme of the ride. There is a power in processing in a shared experience. The ride left Connor and Damen invigorated. So much so that Connor details plans to take the momentum from this specific ride into a formalized a non-profit. More rides will be rolled out. At the same time reemphasizing how Break The (BI)cycle ride is NOT just a month-long ride. This is a movement towards supporting Black and Indigenous men’s mental health.
Let’s #BreakTheStimga Around Men’s Mental Health
- 75% of all suicides are committed by men while Indigenous men are the highest % and it’s not close.
- 25% of men live with a mental illness but either won’t discuss it or don’t even know how to put language behind what they are going through.
- Through colonization, slavery and assimilation, Indigenous and Black men lost their roles by design.
- Black and Indigenous men have not had a true opportunity to identify what they NEED to move forward and become the men our society needs.
Stay up to date on what Connor and Break The (BI)cycle are up to @sacredstoke and @breakthebicycle.
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