Ride Outside Champion, Jason Woods
Hi! I’m Jason Woods, a Sergeant with the LaSalle Police. I’m 45 years old and am happily married to Natalka. We have two sons, Benjamin 14 and Timothy 11. I began racing mountain bikes in the late 1990's and eventually moved to road racing. I have competed in races all over Ontario and Michigan, with my most successful moment coming in 2016 when I won the Master 2 race at the Tour Di Via Italia in Windsor.
When I first started riding and racing, I did it for the fitness and the enjoyment of competing. But in November 2017 I was involved in a collision while training on my bike and suffered six fractured vertebrae in my neck. The injury left me in a neck brace for three months and it took a full year to recover. It was during this time that I learned to appreciate the bike for more than just fitness. Being able to ride on the open roads on my bike has provided me with tremendous stress relief. Being a police officer can be an extremely stressful job at times. Riding has provided me with a healthy outlet to release the stress and clear my mind.
Ride Inside Champion, Julia Zeising
Hello! My name is Julia Zeising. I work full-time at Windsor Regional Hospital and have been a certified Spin Instructor for 7 years. I teach twice a week and ride everyday that I can. I am 45 years old, married to a wonderful husband and we have an amazing 14 year old son.
In 2012, my mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The stressful days, sleepless nights and anxiety was endless. I needed to stay strong and found that Spinning was my way to cope with what was happening in my life. In 2013 I became certified. I have hosted many fundraiser spin-a-thons in honour of her and others, and for many different organizations. I am proud to mention the most recent "SPIN FOR CMHA" held in February 2020.
Spinning is my passion. It is not only a part of my life physically but, mentally. I still and always will think of my angel in heaven every time I am on that bike.
CMHA-WECB Wellness Warriors Team Captain, Chynna Hamel
My name is Chynna-Chanel Hamel, and I am a registered social worker at CMHA-WECB. I am also a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend to many. My most beloved moments are time that I spend with my husband, my three pups, my family, doing yoga, riding a bike, going for a walk in nature, cleaning and organizing (weird, I know!), shopping in vintage shops, and having the privilege of decorating my home and caring for my plants! My Happy Place is Disney World! My “calm” is my parents’ home in Michigan!
Since April 2017, I have had the privilege to call CMHA-WECB “my home away from home”. Little did I know at the time of accepting this job that I would be embarking on a career in mental health that would be life changing. Since that time, I have had the honor to work alongside selfless women and men each day, who provide the highest level of patient care possible. I’m truly blessed to have learned and grown alongside many champions of mental health, both staff, and clients alike.
This year, Ride Don’t Hide is much different than in years past. COVID-19 has had an unprecedented effect of change and social distancing on a global scale, and Ride Don’t Hide was impacted like many things. Although we cannot ride together this year, doesn’t mean we are alone. It means we are starting a new movement of mental health awareness for our families, and friends, and loved ones. It means a new movement for our neighbours, our co-workers, and our community. It means a collective movement, together, but physically apart. It means we can pick how we choose to Ride Don’t Hide. We can ride outside (get fresh air, and ride, walk, or run)! We can ride inside (practice exercise indoors)! We can ride in spirit (practice some sort of mental wellness activity like baking, cooking, reading, or writing)!
I hope that makes sense: we ride together, but apart. On Sunday, June 28, 2020, we join thousands of “riders” across Canada to bring awareness, and much needed funds to program locally that are not supported by government funding. For our region of Windsor-Essex, that money helps support our Bereavement Program, Client Assistance Fund, and Mental Health Promotion. So please donate what you are able, and if you cannot, please join me, along with thousands of other Canadians in a movement like no other.
So what is my story, and why do I ride?
Well, here it goes…
I ride because mental health care needs to be just as accessible as physical health care. All people have mental health, much like they have physical health. Statistically speaking, in any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians will develop mental illness of some kind.
I ride because suicide is the second leading cause of death among Canadians under 25 years old.
I ride because an average of 10 people die each day by suicide in Canada, yet 8 out of 10 times, suicide is preventable.
I ride because mental health and addiction care is still underfunded in comparison to physical health care. As a result, wait-lists cause barriers to timely, access to care. There are still gaps in the way treatment is accessed for those experiencing mental health challenges, often because of these funding barriers. Ride Don’t Hide is a great opportunity to raise funds and awareness for much needed programs at CMHA-WECB.
I ride because stigma still exists. Each day, each conversation, every chance we get, we need to change the mindset, and encourage an open dialogue of mental wellness. We need to correct stigmatizing words, environments, and systems that prevent our community from getting the help they need. We need to all work to change the dialogue of how mental illness, and addiction are viewed. It can be as simple as changing the way that we speak of mental illness, and addiction, to joining movements like Ride Don’t Hide, or lobbying for funding changes at a government level.
Personally…
I ride because I have an autoimmune disease that has caused depression and anxiety for me.
I ride because I was able to survive panic attacks because of the treatment I received.
I ride because of the grief my husband and I experienced over the loss of our pup last year, and the support we received from family, friends, colleagues, and healthcare providers.
I ride because mental illness runs in my family.
I ride because my brother continues to overcome his depression, has sought help, and continues to do work, each and every day.
I ride for my cousin when he was seven, explaining that his medication helps stop the overwhelming thoughts in his head.
I ride in memory of my grandfather, who suffered silently with depression for many years, because he was afraid to get help.
I ride because my niece was on a long wait list to receive counselling.
I ride for my clients, who I help support. That they may have a treatment plan, that suits their needs, and goals for recovery.
I ride for all of the times as a CMHA worker, I have heard client’s experiences with suicidality, and developed plans to keep them safe.
I ride for clients of mine, and my colleagues that were not able to keep safe, and died by suicide or overdose.
I ride because mental illness is real, and the impacts on each person, their families, and their loved ones is real.
I ride because mental wellness is possible. Recovery is possible. And a good quality of life should be a right, not a privilege!
I ride because suicide and overdose still impacts our community. Each day.
I ride because COVID-19 has impacted our community, country, and world, and not only is this a physical health pandemic, but also a mental health crisis. Mental illness and deaths by suicides are on the rise as mental illness has emerged from the carnage of COVID-19.
I ride in memory of those who are not able to be here today to tell their story.
I ride for those who have lost a loved one, and are moving through their bereavement process.
To me, Ride Don’t Hide is not just the action of cycling; but it is a powerful movement. It is sending the message that communities across Canada, on this day are joining together in solidarity for acceptance and inclusion. It is a movement that all people deserve to have safe, affordable, culturally-appropriate, accessible, client-centred, and recovery focused treatment, when they need it. Right time, right place, right treatment: for both mental health and addiction care, and physical health care.
I ride because I want a world for our future generations to have open, honest, and safe conversations about mental health, and aren’t afraid, but are welcomed, and understood.
I ride and won’t hide.
TEAM PROFILE: East Side Riders
East Side Riders (ESR) Cycling Club began in 2008 with a handful of cycling enthusiasts that started group riding on weekends from Tecumseh which is East of Windsor (hence East Side Riders). ESR became an Ontario Cycling Association (OCA) affiliated club in 2012 and currently has over 200 members. The members come from every type of background from stay at home parents, business, manufacturing, teachers, self-employed, retirees and semi pro athletes, that range in age from 15 to 84 years old. The club offers 3 levels of rides from 2 different start locations (Tecumseh and LaSalle) that ride all over Essex County 3-4 times a week. We are lucky to be a part of the local cycling community that has many different cycling opportunities. ESR mainly focuses on road bike group rides that help members improve their fitness not just physically but mentally as well. Another part of ESR is our community involvement in which many members volunteer or participate in local cycling events. Quite a few ESR members have participated in the Windsor "Ride Don’t Hide" fundraising event since the event first came to Windsor with the club supporting a team for the last few years and will again this year even though it’ll be virtually.
ESR member and ride captain Cindy Relf is a huge supporter of the Ride Don't Hide event. She shares her thoughts on the event:
"As a teacher of children who experience mental health challenges, the spirit of Ride Don’t Hide is very important to me. I try to instill in all my students a belief that you embrace your challenges and meet them with strength and openness. As a society, we have come a long way in recognizing the importance of mental health for everyone but there is still work to be done. I have a passion for riding and a passion for mental health. Ride Don’t Hide brings both of these together for a very worthy cause, feeling good while doing something I love."
Why I Ride: Ellen van Wageningen
I got my first bike for my sixth birthday. The handlebars came up to my chest. It had no training wheels. I took my wobbly first rides on the sloping lawn and winding gravel driveway in front of our farmhouse. It was a summer of spills and tears, but by the end I felt like I could fly. I had me first set of wheels and taste of freedom.
I was introduced to urban cycling during university, when I relied on a bike to get me around cheaply. A few years after we came to Windsor, I dusted off my bicycle after my husband and I traded our two vehicles in for one. When the weather was fair, I cycled to the Windsor Star's downtown office, where I worked. It was 20-minute ride from our house and a perfect transition between the two.
Now, for the first time in my life, I have two bikes: one for roads and one for trails. I bought the road bike 10 years ago at a local shop and started taking longer rides into Essex County with friends. I joined a small group that cycled on the Chrysler Greenway from Windsor to Harrow and back every Sunday morning. Last fall, I bought a mountain bike after friends introduced me to more rugged trails. The fat, knobby tires also gave me the confidence to cycle all winter, when I would normally be afraid to wipe out on ice or a slick patch of snow.
Getting on a bike still gives me the wings and sense of freedom I first felt when I was six. I think it will as long as I can keep pedaling.
TEAM PROFILE: Green Shield Canada
Green Shield Canada (GSC) recognizes the importance of mental health and the overall health and well-being of our employees. We strive to promote and support a positive work environment and openly communicate about mental health through education and awareness. As GSC employees, we are committed to improving access to mental health services for Canadians to recognize our Social Impact focus. Every strong city needs engaged citizens, and giving back enriches our community and makes many resources available that would not exist otherwise. Mental health is key to our well-being. It involves how we feel, think, act and interact with the world around us. Mental health is about realizing our potential, coping with the normal stresses of life, and contributing to our community. Good mental health isn't about avoiding problems or trying to achieve a "perfect" life. It's about living well and feeling capable despite challenges. Each of our paths to well-being will be unique. We all have our own goals, our own challenges, our own talents and our own supports - but good mental health is within everyone's reach. Maintaining your mental health is a lot like staying physically fit - it requires a little effort everyday so let's combine both efforts and reap the benefits in which good mental and physical well-being makes you stronger and fitter. GSC is grateful to be able to support our local communities across Canada through the Ride Don't Hide fundraiser and look forward to making a movement for mental health!
