Virtual ride raises tens of thousands for youth mental health

July 16, 2020 · 0 Comments

Aurora resident Meghan Seybold completed her goal last week to ride 2,200 kilometres in support of youth mental health.

Seybold had the idea of “The Imagine Ride” more than a year ago. Last August, she partnered with Jack.org, vowing to assist youth in need who are currently enduring mental health hurdles.

She says she can’t believe how fast this went.

“It’s gone by really quickly in a lot of ways. Some days felt very long. But, overall, it’s an amazing experience and I’m glad it’s at this point now.”

Since beginning her ride on June 1, she has been on a trainer on Mondays and Wednesdays aiming for 75 kilometre rides each time. All sessions were broadcasted live on Facebook and Zwift. On the weekends, she averaged 100 kilometres per day.

“I hope the ride has opened up a conversation and hopefully drawn attention to the topic of youth mental health especially now in light of COVID. Hopefully it’s making people aware of resources available through Jack.org and where to go to ask for help if they don’t know where to turn. Whether or not they are personally experiencing struggles with mental health or they know someone struggling, hopefully this has invited a conversation into homes and into communities,” Seybold elaborated.

As someone who lived with depression when she was younger, Seybold has raised over $32,000 for Jack.org.

For her final 60 kilometres, Seybold was supported by neighbours, friends and Jack.org Sponsorship Lead Ryan Martin, who commended Seybold’s past month as incredibly inspiring.

“It’s massive. She has a family. She has a full-time career (which is busier than ever) and she has time to do this,” Martin said.

“It’s a huge investment. I think it’s an incredibly inspiring thing she has done.”

Martin, an employee with Jack.org for the past year, says he fell into the organization naturally. As a passionate advocate of mental health, he says the work environment is full of dedicated individuals to aid others in an era where he says, that mental health can be made “cool.”

Seybold, a 51-year-old mother, has earned plenty of support from her colleagues at RBC, neighbours, friends and family through her journey. Through the rain or intense heat, she managed to complete her feat in just over a month.

In the near future, Seybold says this is not the end. She looks forward to spending more time with her family while continuing to advocate for changes to support positive youth mental health. Donations can still be made at www.imagineride.ca.

Earlier this year, 28,000 youth were on the waiting list pre-COVID-19, to speak with a psychiatrist according to the Children’s Mental Health of Ontario (CMHO).

By Robert Belardi