Dwell It Up Podcast: MTB Coach & Information Jay Bearhead
As thought of one among many vital characters in Purple Bull’s documentary The Engine InsideJay Bearhead has seen all of it: residential schools, drug abuse, alcoholism and homelessness. However it’s his rise from these lows that’s inspirational. Partially it was the bicycle that saved his life. And now from his residence base in Kamloops, B.C., he’s giving as soon as extra—educating Indigenous youth one of many easiest methods to harness the ability of two wheels (or two edges) to create a future that’s solely their very private, whereas persevering with to assessment and educate the Indigenous traditions and customized he grew up with out.
Whereas he’s solely 44, he nonetheless skilled the harshness of a spiritual residential college all through the U.S. all by means of his kids. His response to the trauma he suffered there was to bury himself for years in drug and alcohol abuse. And that in flip led to homelessness. However it was the bicycle that launched him as soon as extra. After he hit the underside of lows, he’s rediscovered his customized, his individuals and his place on the earth.
Take a look at these highlights from Colin Subject’s dialog with Jay:
On coping with earlier trauma:
The sentiments are exhausting to take care of. They arrive at actually inopportune conditions. All through the years of my therapeutic journey, there are some factors I’ve realized about trauma, about components which have occurred to us as a individuals … the trauma doesn’t change. The impression of what occurred, the size of it doesn’t change. Individuals say it will possibly get simpler or it will possibly get smaller. Correctly, that doesn’t occur. That is what occurred to me. And I can cling to it, I can protect near it, or I can begin to let it go. And as I let it go, I develop as a healed particular explicit particular person, nonetheless that trauma doesn’t change. That measurement of what occurred doesn’t change. I merely develop spherical it.
And there might probably be conditions the place I’m nearer and there might probably be conditions the place I’m additional away from it, nevertheless it’s regularly there. It’s one issue that I’m going to reside with my complete life. And there have been methods I handled it which have been very unhealthy.
Beginnings in mountain biking:
As I progressed in my job all through the bike retailer [in Lethbridge, AB] clearly I bought a motorcycle and I began driving trails. I discovered that to be therapeutic. Making an attempt as soon as extra, I do know it’s therapeutic now. Everyone is conscious of how superior bikes are and the easiest way they get us by the use of a shitty day. They assist us take care of factors whether or not or not or not everybody is aware of it or not. In order that was my methodology of coping with the trauma that occurred to me at that college, the trauma that occurred rising up as a toddler, in an unstated methodology.
I used to be in a position to be out on the land, placing my power into pedaling up a hill or creating a bounce or a mannequin new path. I didn’t have time for substances. I helped carry the freeride scene to Lethbridge and home. There’s a river that runs by the use of Lethbridge so we had some elevation and a few fairly big hits.
I vividly bear in mind seeing a Bike journal cowl, a fairly iconic one which mentioned, ‘BC sick riders do it elevated than anyone on the planet.’ And it was an image of Richie Schley driving Satan’s Peak in Kamloops. And so spherical Lethbridge on the time, we began factors in another way.
Substance Abuse:
As quickly as I was about 26, possibly 27, my substance use began. And what occurred was a complete mixture of factors.
There was the very best of a really long-term relationship. And my driving occupation as a downhiller … I began to lose to the youthful guys, the up-and-comers I used to be serving to out and mentoring. And I actually really feel that merely sort of began to weigh on me barely bit. And I bear in mind I used to be hanging out with some buddies. We now have been at a pub and I used to be outfitted a beer. My first beer. It was a Budweiser. And it was so gross. I assumed, Man, how do individuals do that? I actually really feel I had about three beers. And I used to be a light-weight. I used to be already spinning nonetheless I sort of favored that feeling …
Attributable to my job all through the bike commerce, I used to be like a mini-celebrity at the moment. So individuals wished to be out with me. Pretty usually there have been conditions after I didn’t can buy my very private drinks. So it grew to show into quite simple to take a look at that route…
Be conscious of the entire dialog correct proper right here.
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