Cycle Jordan III

Cycle Jordan is growing, and so is its impact. It began with Jordan Isaac, a vibrant youth with Down syndrome, and his passion for cycling. With the support of Kickback and Mandem CC , Cycle Jordan, a bike ride and fundraiser, has transformed into a movement that supports Black children and youth in the GTA with Down syndrome to access services.

Jordan inspires his community and puts smiles on people’s faces. Diagnosed with Down syndrome at six months old, the doctors said Jordan would be developmentally delayed, have low muscle tone, heart trouble, and live a life different from many others. Jordan had access to speech therapy when he was younger, but it was no longer covered post-kindergarten.

Despite the challenges, Jordan continues to thrive. As a skilled athlete and creative, Jordan runs track with the Special Olympics and spends his time drawing, dancing, singing, and rapping.

Since year one of Cycle Jordan, Jordan has progressed tremendously. For the past two years, he has taken speech therapy and singing lessons. Not only has his speech improved, but his confidence has soared. Jordan hopes to continue Cycle Jordan as a way to bring his community together, support other youth with Down syndrome, and, let’s be honest, to perform in front of a loving crowd.

In our first year of Cycle Jordan, we raised $5000 in donations to support Jordan. In our second year, with a goal of $15,000, we raised a total of $16,360, supporting Jordan, Saïdou and Djaliatou with services like speech therapy. With the success of last year’s event, we are increasing our fundraising goal to $20,000 to continue supporting Jordan, Saïdou and Djaliatou, as well as our new recipient Daelynn.

Since Cycle Jordan II, Saïdou, age 6, has been able to take private speech therapy in French, his native language! Once a week for the past year, he learned vocabulary words needed in his daily routine, such as “livre” and “brosses à dents.” Saïdou is still on the waiting list to receive support for speech therapy from public services. The funds from Cycle Jordan III will allow Saïdou to continue private speech therapy, which will support his progress.

Djaliatou, age 8, has received help with her personal development from the Cycle Jordan II donations. She was able to access one-to-one support with literacy and socialization. She has improved significantly and has developed a voracious appetite for writing, practicing on her notepads, walls and furniture. She still finds herself on the waiting list to receive assistance from public services for speech therapy. The funds from Cycle Jordan III will continue to help Djaliatou access personal support and a tutor.

Daelynn, age 20, is the youngest of four and is a powerhouse. She loves to sing and dance to every beat she hears. Daelynn has fun taking karate and cheerleading classes. She has a goal of working at Mcdonalds. The funds from Cycle Jordan III will help Daelynn access private speech therapy.

Presented by Kickback, in partnership with Mandem CC, Cycle Jordan’s mission is to empower youth in Toronto who face barriers on their journey toward becoming their best selves. It’s also a reminder that, like Jordan, we can have a mountainous impact on our community when we do what we love and have the support needed.

All donations directly assist four amazing individuals: Jordan, Saïdou, Djaliatou and Daelynn. Thank you all for supporting Cycle Jordan III.

- Kickback and Mandem CC.