Mountain Biking is My Medicine

My name is Emily and I’m very passionate about healing myself, the earth, and helping others learn to heal themselves. I am currently raising money to buy my own mountain bike as a tool for transforming my life and helping others! I’m hoping this go fund me will inspire other people to seek deeper healing in their life and give support to one another! Thank you so much for your donation 

In June 2024 I will have 4 years of recovery from drugs and alcohol. 

Recovery for me is: 

• Seeking the deeper meaning in life
• Living life as my full authentic self 
• Being kind and compassionate in services to others 
• And most importantly ENJOYING my life!
  

I am volunteering 2 or 3 day of the week to COMBA and BMA building mountain bike trails, as a way to give back and show my gratitude. 

I find that mountain biking gives me the perfect opportunity to connect myself with nature and collaborate with like-minded people. Mountain biking is improving my endurance, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. I believe mountain biking can be a powerful tool for connecting with our highest self!

As I turn towards nature and breathe, I feel all the different elements that provides me with energy and strength. Nature is medicine that is freely given to us.

Mountain biking gives me an outlet to co create and connect with other people who also have similar goals, dreams, and passions! Mountain biking teaches me to believe and have trust in myself!

I remember my first time mountain biking Maryland Mountain in Black Hawk with my friends Sentwali and Soha. It was the longest climb of my life and I finally had the biggest motivation to quit vaping. I couldn’t breathe :) My legs were dead tired before we even started the climb. On the downhill I felt like I was flying and experienced this sense of freedom cruising down the flowy switchbacks. With a huge smile on my face I said to Sentwali, “this is freedom 2 fly”! I will never forget this moment! After this experience of being around like minded people I knew it was time to dive deeper into my personal health and healing.

Volunteering for Freedom 2 Fly 4 All Foundation has been an incredible opportunity for growth. Within this opportunity I can not express enough gratitude. I am continuously stretched out of my comfort zone both on and off the trail!

Reflecting back to my childhood I experienced numerous traumatic events. At age 12 I started drinking and smoking cigarettes. These substances helped me to repress the deep rooted pain of my childhood. Despite all of these challenges my heart was always searching for serenity, joy, and peace.

Unfortunately I became more angry, sad, confused, and battled constant anxiety and debilitating panic attacks. In 2016 I was hospitalized for a drug induced psychosis. I chose to take 10 or more different psych meds; all for different diagnosis. I eventually became addicted to pills and heroin. I was a broken shell of myself. I was a stranger to my true healthy self. I was a walking zombie.

Finally at age 22, my life changed through my personal choices to seek recovery.

Today mountain biking is helping me find joy and inner peace.

I am a full-time student at Naropa University in Boulder, and I am doing an apprenticeship to become an NHMTR therapist with Freedom 2 Fly. I absolutely love continuing to learn, and my dream is to own a holistic health center in the mountains. I want to teach people how to mountain bike and snowboard. Helping others discover their true authentic self through nature and Chinese Medicine is one of my greatest passions.

Freedom 2 Fly 4 All has changed my life! Since January of 2024 I have been free of vaping, dairy, cane sugar, and all prescription medications for the first time in over 10 years.

My old paradigm of needing to be dependent on these drugs and toxic chemicals no longer exists!

I am the healthiest version of myself today.

I'm reaching out to anyone who can relate to my story, or feels moved to help me to get my first capable mountain bike. I have a downpayment on a Trek bike at the Trek store in Boulder. It's very hard for me to ask for help, and just writing this has been an exercise in gratitude and trust.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for your financial support to buy my new Trek bike!