Meet a Newcomer Bike Mentorship Match: Razieh and Jerrick
This year, the Newcomer Bike Mentorship Program will return to the Tri-Cities for the second year.
Last year’s inaugural program run in the Tri-Cities was a success, bringing together 16 mentor and mentee matches.
If you’re thinking about becoming a bike mentor in the Tri-Cities for this year’s cohort, bike mentor Jerrick has some thoughts: “Volunteering by riding a bike with a new friend—I don’t know if it gets any better than that.”
We sat down with two of last year’s matches: newcomer Razieh, and her mentor Jerrick, to learn about their experience cycling through the program. Both are residents of Coquitlam and were excited to have someone to ride with while exploring Metro Vancouver by bike.
As someone who immigrated to Canada as a child, Jerrick was inspired to give back to his community and share his love of bikes with someone else.
“A convergence of my passion for riding bikes, sharing the joy of riding, and being able to help someone new to my community all at the same time inspired me to become a bike mentor,” says Jerrick.
During the program run from July to September, Jerrick and Razieh’s rides took them along bike paths in Coquitlam, to Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, and even across the Port Mann Bridge.
Razieh loved the thrill of biking over the Port Mann Bridge high above the water and got a kick out of cruising on her bike past the vehicular traffic on the bridge when traffic was at a standstill.
But both Razieh and Jerrick agreed that their most memorable ride was to Rocky Point Park in Port Moody.
“I couldn’t believe I got to Rocky Point Park from my home on my bike,” says Razieh. “Bicycling in the Tri-Cities was a great experience for me. I could ride to many cities outside of Coquitlam just by using the bike trails, and I could even reach my workplace on the way.”
“It was really awesome to witness the transformation in her belief of what she was capable of,” says Jerrick.
Razieh immigrated from Iran, a country where women cycling is rare and often met with resistance.
“This program helped me so much by teaching me how to ride in Metro Vancouver, so that I now have the confidence to join cycling groups and explore new and longer rides”, says Razieh. “After this program, I rode 65 KM from Lafarge Lake to Fort Langley with my friends. It is the best record of my life.”
The next Newcomer Bike Mentorship Program begins in the Tri-Cities and Vancouver in May 2023 and runs for three months. If you’re interested in becoming a bike mentor and can spend time cycling with a newcomer at least once a week for about three months, please apply here. Thank you for your interest!