Brittany Doherty
Badlands in South Dakota
Brittany Doherty is a powerhouse woman who cannot be stopped. She grew up in Grove City and attended Central Crossing High School as an avid athlete with a competitive spirit. After graduating from the University of Akron, she sped off to New York City to work a busy, bustling corporate life.
During her time there, however, life happened. Like a row of falling dominos, a series of unfortunate events sent Doherty’s idyllic lifestyle into chaos and forced her to re-evaluate how she was living and what it truly meant to be happy.
She completed her yoga instructor license and spent her days teaching and dog-walking to make ends meet while still living in New York. Then, in a snap, she decided to take her passion for yoga and meditational spirit to live at an ashram – a community or place of religious or mediational retreat – in the Bahamas for three months.
During her time there, she happened upon people from all walks of life.
“I kept meeting people who were formerly incarcerated or had drug and alcohol addictions,” Doherty says. “And I kept thinking… of doing yoga in prisons, and trying to figure out how that would work.”
Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park
As this unique idea came to surface, Doherty returned to the U.S. and began working to make something happen.
The Breaking Cycles Project was created to support yoga and indoor cycling programs that worked within prison systems for rehabilitation. The project’s core belief is that everyone deserves second chances. For Doherty, the best way to get this program across was to catch the country’s attention – by biking across it totally alone.
Before she tackled the cross-country trip, she moved back to Grove City, where one of her biggest support systems resides.
“My teachers, coaches, grandmother and grandfather were huge support systems growing up in Grove City,” Doherty says. “I have no idea where I’d be without them. My grandmother and grandfather are my No. 1 fans.”
After trying once, turning back, and deciding to try again, her trip officially began in New York City and spanned all the way to Florence, Oregon, where she then cycled down into Mexico. She stayed wherever she could, often using an app called Warm Showers, a system of hosts around the country who welcome traveling bikers. In total, the journey was 5,200 miles.
“Everyone told me I was crazy,” Doherty laughs. “People thought it was impossible.”
With very little preparation or endurance training, she began her trek and, as the days went on, felt more and more inspired by what she was doing. Her bike was equipped with minimal essentials and was decorated with a Breaking Cycles sign to let everyone know the purpose of her ride.
“All I have to do is make it to point B,” she told herself. “And that’s how I lived my life for those four months.”
Doherty says the journey was the best thing she’s ever done. She felt immensely motivated by how strong she found herself becoming, pushing past obstacles that came her way and overcoming all. With two pairs of shorts, shirts, sports bras, socks and $5 in her pocket, she found herself still to be amazingly happy.
She recalls a certain point in her adventure when she ended up in Wyoming on Grand Teton, the highest mountain in Grand Teton National Park. It was there Doherty felt absolute peace and self-acceptance.
“I was happier in that moment than when I was in New York when I had the apartment, the boyfriend, the job, the parties,” Doherty says.
While the entire experience was life-changing, that doesn’t mean biking 5,200 miles alone with just the clothes on your back is always peachy-keen. There were days she physically felt exhausted, nearly passing out from dehydration at a certain point. Even when her water bottle began growing black mold she didn’t panic and refused to be deterred. Some of the hardest spans of the trip were when she didn’t have human contact for long stretches of time, though she did end up meeting many people and creating relationships along the way.
Through it all, she thrived during the journey. Not only did she raise awareness for the Breaking Cycles Project, but Doherty gained a new perspective on life.
“We can overcome any obstacle or situation we’re in,” Doherty says. “We just have to believe in ourselves.”
Doherty plans to continue her work with Breaking Cycles, consistently working to help people live positive, confident lives.
Yes, life happens. But people like Doherty are just happy to be along for the ride.
Firefighters in Peru, Indiana, welcomed Doherty into their firehouse overnight, cooked breakfast and sent her on her way with a pannier worth of food.
Mallory Arnold is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
