From 2018 to 2021, Radical Adventure Riders carried forward SJ Brooks’ legacy by awarding 46 SJ Brooks Scholarships.
These scholarships were created to break down barriers and open up access to cycling adventures for BIPOC riders who are trans, non-binary, genderqueer, two-spirit, femme, and/or women. Through financial aid, gear, and bike support, RAR helped empower a new generation of radical adventurers.
2021 Scholarship
In 2021, we offered 20 scholarships for BIPOC TWIG cyclists. Recipients received $666-$2k cash stipends, 3 new e-bikes from Specialized Bikes, 1 gravel bike with bikepacking bags from Corvid Cycles, 1 gravel bike from Crust Bikes, and 10 gear packages valued at $800 each.
Learn more about the 2021 scholarship, the companies who supported it, and the twenty recipients.
2020 Scholarship
For the 2020 SJ Brooks Scholarship, we received 200 applications, and the reality is that there were more qualified applicants than we had scholarships to give. We provided sixteen scholarships with $1k-$2k cash stipends, 4 bikes provided by Specialized Bikes, 2 bikes from Kona Bikes, 2 bikes from Surly Bicycles, 1 e-bike from Bosch eBike Systems, and 10 gear packages valued at $3k each.
Learn more about the 2020 scholarship, the companies who supported it, and the sixteen recipients.
Past Scholarship Recipients
In 2018 and 2019, RAR provided a total of ten scholarships for BIPOC and FTWN-B folks to attend the WTF BX Summits. Recipients also received financial stipends, gear packages, and bikes based on need. Learn more about the past recipients!
Who was SJ Brooks?
A community organizer, experienced cyclist, and beloved by many, SJ was the founder of the Seattle chapter of Friends on Bikes, a social cycling group for BIPOC who are women, trans, femme, or non-binary. In August of 2018, SJ was scheduled to speak about FOB– as part of the queer people of color panel– at the RAR Summit. On May 19, 2018, SJ was fatally attacked by a cougar while biking in the wilderness with a friend outside of Seattle. SJ’s death was a massive loss to the cycling community. They were a positive light who worked tirelessly to create change.
Each year, the community and sponsors will support recipients who need funding, gear, and/or a bike for their radical adventure that carries on SJ Brooks’ legacy. A direct effort to bridge the gap between industry/companies and BIPOC cyclists is to reduce some of the financial and material barriers required to pedal to new horizons.
