A group of cyclists biked more than 350 miles from Cincinnati to Cleveland over the course of five days in September to raise awareness for suicide prevention.
Devin Gonzales got into cycling about two years ago and found solace in getting out to ride once the pandemic hit. He quickly realized that cycling could be used to raise money and awareness for a philanthropic cause.
After talking with a friend who worked for the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation in Columbus, Gonzales decided that OSPF would be the perfect organization to support.
“I’ve always felt a passion to help and support people that are struggling and actually need the help,” Gonzales says. “I think we are getting more disconnected because of social media, but normalizing conversations that are deep, that are true, that needs to happen.”
According to a report from the Ohio Department of Health, suicide deaths increased by 45 percent among all Ohioans and by 56 percent among youth aged 10 to 24 from 2007-2018. In Ohio, five people die by suicide every day.
These numbers may worsen due to the mental strain of isolation during the pandemic.
“If there’s one positive thing to come from the pandemic, it’s definitely been that people are more comfortable talking about mental health now,” says Keiko Talley, communications manager at OSPF. “One of the biggest signs of suicide is self-isolation, and that’s what we’ve all been going through the past year.”
Talley says she was thrilled to discover that Gonzales was planning this ride and connected with the cyclists quickly to spread word about their mission. They created GoFundMe pages to be shared on Facebook and issued press releases for the event.
Cincinnati native Sam Woodward saw a social media post from Gonzales about the ride and asked if he could join.
“My heart has just been particularly burdened for mental health,” Woodward says. “I think one of the reasons being is because of how many people it affects, in my own life and everyone’s life. I’m constantly seeking how I can make a change and inspire others in fighting this.”
Gonzales and Woodward kicked off the ride with two other men, Jacob Jones and Josh Snead, on Sept. 23 in Cincinnati at the start of the Ohio to Erie Trail.
Gonzales had experienced a serious injury during his construction work just weeks before the ride that hindered his ability to prepare. When it came time for the event, Gonzales was still experiencing intense pain when he got on the bike.
“I myself am someone who has endured quite a bit in life,” Gonzales says. “I put myself in the shoes of people who have been in a tough situation like me, or even a worse off situation. And to be honest, I’d rather tear my ligament than quit that ride.”
Despite his injury, Gonzales completed the five-day ride in support of the people he says he was riding for.
“I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m giving up on these people,’” Gonzales says. “It’s more than the money; it’s inspirational. It’s to help portray there’s more to life than the pain.”
Because of the news coverage during their ride, some people recognized the group as they rode through Ohio. One woman had a particularly impactful interaction with them.
The cyclists had stopped for coffee at a shop outside of Cincinnati and spoke with the owner about what they were doing.
“She was almost in tears because she had just lost someone very close to her to suicide,” Woodward says. “Even just thinking about it now gives me goosebumps to remember how much it meant to her that we were doing this, and it almost seemed like we were giving her hope that things would get better.”
Interactions like this one confirmed the men’s hopes that their ride could make a difference and left them eager to repeat the ride again this year.
“Something I really want to emphasize is that we all have a part to play in this,” Woodward says. “Whether we have been affected directly or not, we can do much more than we think by just being willing to check in on our friends and family and making ourselves available.”
Nora McKeown is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
