Advocating for Mental Health Awareness in the Cycling Community
Mountain biking with a purpose. This is what TotalMTB, a UK-based non-profit organisation, is all about. Learning about the incredible advocacy work they do within the cycling community, naturally, we wanted to be part of it.
TotalMTB have two missions; to remove the stigma around mental health and help the environment while they’re doing it. How? By raising funds for mental health charities and initiatives in the UK, running social media campaigns to raise awareness, planting trees, and cleaning up MTB trails in their local area. Since 2019, they have donated £12,000 to charity and planted 5,000 trees.
We chatted with TotalMTB founder, Ryan Oldfield, about what inspired him to start TotalMTB. “I started TotalMTB as I want to try to help and encourage people to get out on their bikes to improve their mental health as well as their physical health,” Ryan says.
They’re also big advocates of removing all obstacles for anyone wanting to give mountain biking a go. Everyone’s welcome at TotalMTB, and that’s just the way Ryan wants it.
When asked about why it was important to encourage more people to get into cycling, Ryan had this to say, “I think biking is a fantastic way for people to improve their mental health as well as their physical health, it gets them outside in the fresh air in nature, and meeting new people on rides, adding a social aspect.”
With multiple sponsors and some high-profile supporters in the cycling industry, TotalMTB are ploughing ahead with their mission.
“Our partners and sponsors help TotalMTB in many ways but the main two ways are that they spread the awareness of TotalMTB and mental health to their followers and audience so we can reach and help many more people,” Ryan says, when discussing how TotalMTB’s sponsors enable them to continue working towards their missions to improve mental and physical health and help the environment.
Everyone should get to experience the joy of cycling and feel that when they get out there on their bike, it’s an escape and a moment to take a deep breath. As advocates of cycling for physical and mental wellbeing, and the benefits it has on the environment, we are so excited to announce that we are sponsoring TotalMTB again this year and helping promote their message.
