Hello fellow cyclists,
As you read this, I am between Durango and Denver riding the Colorado Trail Race! This ride is taking me thru 485 miles of wilderness and up to 70,000 feet of climbing, with no aid stations or support. All I have is what I can carry on my back and my bike. Why am I doing this? First, because I love the outdoors and I love to move on two wheels. Second, I want to raise awareness and support for something I care deeply about – high school mountain biking and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association.
The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is leading a movement at the community level to keep kids active by getting (or keeping) them on bikes thru the transformative sport of high school mountain biking. Funds raised by NICA ensure that all students-athletes have access to this sport by providing scholarships to those who need financial assistance, as well as grants to help support teams in low-income regions and jump-start leagues where they do not already exist.
Why is it important that we take action now? Well, I believe that modern conveniences and distractions are taking our kids away from healthy exercise. Automation and technology have engineered movement out of their daily lives. I can’t accept this trend, especially not for kids who have a lifetime of movement in front of them. And that’s why I’m riding the Colorado Trail: to celebrate human-powered movement while asking you to help make high school mountain biking accessible to more kids in the USA.
I invite you to join me by becoming a NICA Booster Club Member! NICA and GU Energy are making it easy by giving you two ways to join:
- Go to GU’s online store to purchase a “GU NICA Pack”. GU will donate 100% of the purchase price and we’ll sign you up as a NICA Booster Club Member. You’ll also receive a copy of Single Track High, a film that documents the trials and triumphs of six unique athletes who have been changed by mountain biking.
2. Or go to NICA’s website to learn more about this great organization and sign up directly with them. If you do that, GU will send you different HDYG* Packs depending on the membership level you choose (* HDYG=How Do You GU).
I’ve been involved with the high school mountain biking scene for over seven years, first as a board member of the NorCal League in California, and now as an Honorary Board Member of NICA. I’m highly motivated to see high school mountain biking grow because it empowers kids to live a healthy and active lifestyle, while teaching them skills that they’ll carry with them the rest of their lives. Please join me in supporting NICA.
This is my first Colorado Trail Race experience. My goal is to finish and to raise awareness along the way about the need to encourage our kids to move and the opportunity to do so thru mountain biking and NICA.
I encourage you to watch “Single Track High”. Like me, I bet you’ll be impressed both by this film and how our sport is shaping the lives of young people!
Thanks so much for your time and happy trails!
Brian Vaughan
CEO/Co-founder, GU Energy Labs