Italian bike accessories firm fizik is supporting adventure cyclist, community organizer and advocate Sarah Swallow in her ‘One-Hour-A-Day Challenge’, which takes place during Mental Health Awareness Month this May.
While encouraging riders to be proactive in their own mental health journeys by prioritizing outdoor physical activity, the challenge also supports fundraising efforts for The Trevor Project, which provides information & support to young LGBTQ people.
The One-Hour-A-Day Challenge can be found on ridewithgps.com. Participants ride for at least one hour a day each day for the month of May, recording rides using the Ride with GPS app.
Sarah Swallow first started the one-hour-a-day challenge in May 2021. At the time, she was training for the Tour Divide, a 2,700-mile dirt road challenge on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. She challenged herself to ride her bicycle every day to train and adapt her body to riding regardless of how tired she was, or how poor the environmental conditions were.
She attributes the challenge as the most impactful element in her training plan, leading to her finishing the Great Divide route in 21 days and being the second woman overall.
“I ride my bike for my mental well-being,” said Sarah Swallow. “Moving my body outside helps me move through unhelpful thought patterns by grounding me in the present moment and in my body.
“It’s an act of self-love; it feels good, increases my cognitive clarity and self-confidence, and affirms my strength and commitment to my physical and mental health.”
