Outride, a 501(c)3 committed to improving the lives of youth through cycling, is joining forces with UCI cross-country mountain bike team, Team31, co-founded by Olympic Champion Jenny Rissveds for 2021. Rissveds, an advocate for positive mental health after a personal battle with depression following the Olympic Games in Rio, has used her platform to engage and inspire the next generation when it comes to being active and making use of the outdoors as a tool for mental health.
The events of the past 18 months have isolated children from their communities—their schools, their friends, their teammates. Access to outlets for positive physical and mental health are not readily accessible to all youth. Now more than ever we need to support our youth in staying healthy—mentally, socially, and emotionally.
With shared missions in advancing the rights of children to access sports and tap into the power and joy of cycling, the partnership will allow both Team31 and Outride to bring awareness to mental health for young people and normalize the conversation around stress, anxiety, depression, and knowing when to ask for support.
Team31:Outride has also proudly added Kelsey Urban, Outride Ambassador and current US U23 National Champion and current PanAmerican Short Track National Champion to the team roster. Racing is underway for the 2021 season with the riders in Albstadt Germany for the first round of the UCI XCO World Cup.
"Jenny and Kelsey are amazing athletes and role models for the next generation of cyclists, showing the importance for mental health at every level of sport," said Skye DeLano, Executive Director of Outride. "This partnership creates greater awareness and ultimately inspires young people to get out and play, discover the joy of cycling, and break down any barriers that stand in the way of participating."
Through its research and programs, Outride has shown that when kids are active and engaged in play, they can tap into the feeling of freedom and joy and focus on where they want to be in the world. On and off the bike, Team31:Outride will partner with schools and youth organizations to inspire all kids to be active and use the bike as an opportunity to be spontaneously active, connect with others, and build community through play.
"I am happy and proud that our team is taking the next step and I am looking forward to continuing to grow this movement together with Kelsey and Outride," said Jenny Rissveds.
"I could not be happier to be joining a team that feels completely aligned with the rider I aspire to be," said Kelsey Urban. "This is a team dedicated to chasing the freedom and joy of two wheels, then inspiring others to do the same. And of course, I am pretty excited to have the opportunity to learn from a long-time hero and my new teammate, Jenny, both on and off the bike."
About Outride
Outride is an anti-racist cycling organization that partners with schools, community partners, coaches, teams, and cyclists to advance more equitable, inclusive, and healthy futures for youth. Outride has partnered with over 200 schools and 70 community organizations to get more kids on bikes. Both Team 31 and Outride foundationally believe that bicycles have a transformative impact on the cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being of young people and their communities. Learn more at outridebike.org
About Team 31
As envisioned by Rissveds and Sportyard, Team31 was originally named in homage to Article 31 in the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child. Article 31 entails that all children have the right to play, free-time and rest, and recreational activities. Team31 was founded to inspire children to get active, free from competition—it is an inclusive initiative and without regard to skill level, gender, race or ethnicity, financial means or sexual orientation.
