During an ongoing pandemic and racial reckoning, the SJ Brooks Scholarship focused on reducing the financial and material barriers required to pursue a spirited bicycle endeavor, with a focus on self-care.
The scholarship also specifically seeks to increase access to cycling opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and people of color who are trans, woman, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, and/or genderqueer.
A huge congrats to Andrea Molina, Ashley Padron, Belkis Fabiola Rueda Flores, Brandon Feliz, Dai Braché, Dandy Cortés, Daniela Pedraza Gómez, Darien Wendell, Doris Gómez Sánchez, J Ordaz, Jireh Drake, Josephine Fouts, Keshia Roberson, Maritza Arango, Meyra Çoban, Noah Chavez-Bonilla, Pat Robinson, Shakeesha Semone Jeffries, Simba Maqsoud and Taneika Duhaney.
Andrea Molina
EL SALVADOR
she/her
IG: Molinandrea55
¡Holis! I am Andrea Molina, an indígena Lenca woman born and raised in so-called El Salvador in Central America. Survival pushed me across borders and I made Washington, D.C. my second home. As a young immigrant living in D.C. I served my community by working as an early childhood educator, a language justice practitioner, and building support networks with other immigrants. When I had to leave the U.S. (my work visa ran out), I decided to ride my bike from Mexico City to Argentina. It’s been a year and I am out here pedaling the very steep mountains of Colombia, and still hoping to reach the southern tip of the continent. The funds from this scholarship will keep me moving south. They’ll ease the financial burden of this trip, which will shed a lot of mental and psychological weight (sometimes I feel I don’t deserve this much joy… but I do, we do). This journey is not only teaching me a lot about bikes and myself, but it’s also helping me heal and embrace the fun and playfulness I did not get as a kid. I know we deserve to dream big and go on adventures. If you ever want to chat about how to plan and prepare for a multi-year bike trip, hit me up! My IG messages are open to my BIPOC fam. ¡Aquí estamos, sanando y floreciendo!
Ashley Padron
PORTLAND, OR
she/ella/they
IG: chingona.aventura
Howdy! My name’s Ashley, but my friends call me Smashy because I’m committed to SMASHING the patriarchy and the bike scene alike! I started riding bikes as a form of commuting back in June of 2019, and have been hooked on the feeling ever since. When I started getting into cycling I was a bit intimidated because I wasn’t seeing that many folks that looked like me or who had the same riding style. For me being on a bike was so much more than just riding to be the fastest one out there. I was riding for my freedom, for my enjoyment, for my liberation, and to take up all the space, and help other marginalized folks feel empowered to do the same! As a bigger-bodied rider in a female-presenting body, I feel that bikes aren’t designed with body types like mine in mind. From the narrow handlebars to the uncomfortable saddles, there are a lot of ways that we can improve the fit and feel of our bikes that take a serious cash investment. That’s why my plan for using these funds is to help me level up my bike so I can feel more confident being in the saddle longer! The first investment I want to make is getting a more comfortable saddle for long-distance touring. Right now I feel that if I spend more than an hour on my bike, I get gnarly saddle sores that make it really difficult to keep riding as much as I like. I am also planning on upgrading my groupset from Shimano SORA to Shimano 105 shifting so I can feel more confident, especially with a loaded down bike, to take longer trips and bigger climbs.
Belkis Fabiola Rueda Flores
NICARAGUA
she/her
IG: belkisakeelha
Nicaragüense por gracia de Dios! Nací en Managua el 6 de diciembre de 1994 ,Fui criada por mis abuel@s paternos (que en paz descansen)actualmente l@s presento como mi madre y padre. Me reconozco como una mujer empática, carismática ,servicial, feminista ,humilde, muy sensible, respetuosa, amante y defensora de la madre naturaleza y admiro otros deportes como la natación, correr, fisicoculturismo y deportes extremos… Soy licenciada en desarrollo rural, soy vegana me encanta el café y conocer nuevos lugares, y tener nuevas aventuras, trato de salir siempre de la rutina porque esa me cansan y saca panza además😂… tengo 7 herman@s y con migo somos 8, me gusta bailar, tengo Fe en Dios y las personas. Fiel creyente de hacerlo que te plazca sin dañar a las personas (medio ambiente) a tu alrededor. Dispuesta aprender y ayudar sin ver a quien.
Brandon Feliz
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
they/them
IG: ndum1s0
My name is Brandon Feliz, I’m a writer and community builder based in Providence studying English and Africana Studies. My work is all about using storytelling to bring people together. My driving force is to speak to the power of my communities and to equip students of color with skills, tools, and opportunities through technology, art, and Identity. When I’m not working (which isn’t often), I love to watch movies, read, rock climb, and bike! With this scholarship, not only will I be able to make my bike riding experience much safer by fixing my gear, buying a helmet and better lights, etc but I’ll be able to cover enough of a gap in my tuition so I can work less and explore the nature around me more!
Dai Braché
BROOKLYN, NY
IG: daibrache
Dai is a proud Queer Afro-Rican born and bred in NYC. Their strongest familial and bicycle roots can be found in Brooklyn. As a community organizer Dai has worked with LifeCycle Biking and Different gear in their efforts to promote mental and physical health to communities of womxn, feminine, LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized bodies. Dai will continue to work in this capacity. As a new guardian to an infant and toddler, Dai hopes even more now to provide a healthy model for adventure cycling for the sheer joy, as well as, the benefits of physical and mental goodness of it. They hope to use their scholarship to organize and support radical bikepacking adventures for BIPOC TWIG who might not otherwise have the opportunity for such.
Dandy Cortés
TIJUANA, BAJA CALIFORNIA
she/ella
IG: ladaandy
Hola, mi madre me nombró Daniela Cortés, pero yo me autonombre Dandy, ya que me parece más neutral. Soy animalita feral, color moreno en el constante intento de mantener mi salvajismo en un mundo dominado por la humanidad. Llevo dos años existiendo y resistiendo en Tijuana (que en realidad deberíamos seguir nombrando tierra Kumiai) lugar de caos, aventura, constante migración y entrecruce de culturas. Yo nací en Coacalco que significa lugar de las serpientes, situado en una zona periférica del centro de México. Mi relación con la bicicleta se ve atravesada totalmente por mi experiencia de cuerpo vivido; de niña tendía más hacia el juego, aunque ahora lo sigue siendo, también, ha sido mi fuente de trabajo, mi transporte cotidiano, mi red de amistades, pero principalmente mi herramienta de resistencia colectiva. Montarme en la bicicleta me provoca a andar en manada y así hacer un aullido para desobedecer lo establecido, el poder transitar los espacios y tomar las calles que históricamente nos han Sido negadas. Rodar me significa una lucha cotidiana contra el patriarcado, el capitalismo y todas las formas de opresión existentes. Junto con la manada he acompañado a otras personas (sobre todo mujeres y disidencias) en talleres sobre mecánica básica de bicicletas, rodadas colectivas de resistencia, pláticas, campamentos y muchos, muchos eventos relacionados con la bicicleta. El poder obtener la beca me pone muy contenta ya que es un impulso y recordatorio para seguir haciendo lo que tanto me gusta, ya que con la pandemia y lo estresante que fue mi último trabajo remunerado mi fueguito interno se había apagado. Con esta nueva fogata pretendo hacer un viaje en bicicleta hacia centroamérica donde pueda conectarme y vincularme con otras mujeres y disidencias que anden en bicicleta y, también, tengo la intención de generar un registro audiovisual de las historias de las familias de las mujeres trans migrantes que he conocido y me he compartido mientras estoy en Tijuana. Gracias, gracias por todo el esfuerzo colectivo que hace realidad esta beca.
Daniela Pedraza Gómez
MEXICO
she/her
IG: ladescuadrada
Soy una mujer ciclista, periodista y hñähñú. Comencé a usar la bicicleta como medio de transporte para desplazarme desde la periferia (Ecatepec), la bici me ha enseñado a romper mis limites, usarla como una herramienta de resistencia hacia el machismo, el racismo, clasismo, el acoso, el clima, el aburrimiento, la falta de cultura vial. Viajar en bicicleta, ha resignificado mi placer, libertad y el autoconocimiento de mis emociones/cuerpa, desde ese ámbito he decidido renunciar al miedo que implica hacerlo desde este territorio llamado México (heteropatriarcal, racista y xenófobo), crear redes y espacios separatistas entre mujeres, trans y personas no binarias que viajan en bici. La bicicleta se ha convertido en un proyecto de vida; una manera de resistir. Continuamente busco formar proyectos desde la autogestión que involucren el tema de la bicicleta, el paisaje sonoro y el feminismo. Actualmente formo parte de la colectiva @ResistePedal y confunde una plataforma de periodismo autogestivo desde la periferia llamado @Teporingx. Recibir la beca SJ Brooks significa poder hacer un viaje en bici por lugares que no podría pagar (con mi sueldo de freelance), recorrer parte del territorio mexicano (sur o norte), documentar y retratar el paisaje sonoro y a lxs hablantes de las lenguas indígenas del mismo. ¡Muchas Gracias RAR!
Darien Wendell
CHICAGO, IL
ey/em/d
IG: enbycxnt
Hi, I’m Darien (ey/em, d)! I’m a Black, trans, queer, disabled artist, and earth keeper. I work at the intersections of farming, reproductive justice, and abolition. I love exploring the outdoors and building relationships with our plant kin. I’m very excited to be receiving the SJ Brooks Scholarship and gear pack! The gear pack will help me outfit the bike I have and keep it in good condition. The scholarship funds will be supporting the Black Trans Bike Fleet (BTBF), a mutual aid project distributing bikes and gear to Black trans people in Chicago. BTBF is how I have a bike and fell in love with cycling. So I’m honored to have the opportunity to support Maxx (@maxxisdigital) in building out more opportunities for Black trans people to cycle.
Doris Gómez Sánchez
MEXICO
she/ella
Nací en la comunidad llamada 20 de noviembre municipio de Huixtán Chiapas, México. Mi interés ha sido, sobre todo, en el trabajo con niñas y niños en las comunidades indígenas; haciendo formación de lecto-escritura. También me ha interesado formar grupos para el uso de la bicicleta. Ésta ha formado parte de mi vida y de mi trabajo. Me gusta andar en bicicleta porque es una manera de sentirte libre, además de ayudar a la naturaleza. La bicicleta como beca me servirá como medio de transporte y como herramienta para ejercicios.
J Ordaz
SAN DIEGO, CA
they/them
IG: pleaseholdthehand
Hi, I’m J, a transmasc latinx graphic designer and community organizer based in San Diego, California. They are excited to start going on daily bike rides again and plan/train for a cycling retreat on the east coast.
Jireh Drake
CHICAGO, IL
they/them
IG: obsidiannmoonn
jireh l. drake (they // them) is an unapologetic queer, black, trans non-binary baddie & abolitionist, who is reimagining life in Chicago. they are a mixed media drawing and sculpting artist and writer, who is often laughing, chanting, or freestyling healing hymns when i was supporting my homie to get acclimated to city riding, we joked about riding across a state line to their hometown. being granted the 2021 SJ Brooks Scholarship is helping bring a wild dream to fruition, providing spaciousness && of course meeting some essential needs.
Josephine Fouts
SAN DIEGO, CA
she/her
IG: ms.stubbornness
A self-proclaimed mad scientist single-handedly on a mission to save the world with cycling! Josie will be using her scholarship to set the first para-fastest known time (or FKT) along the infamous White Rim Trail in an effort to build Mountain Paracycling as a Paralympic sport.
Keshia Roberson
WASHINGTON, D.C.
she/they
IG: keshia.ro
Keshia Roberson is an endurance runner and cyclist, distance running coach, mental health advocate, and creator of Major Knox Adventures (@majorknoxadventures), a series to promote radical joy while celebrating Black folx outside. Through Major Knox Adventures, she has led cycling tours that have included the 1928 Legacy Tour, a tribute to 5 Black women that cycled 250-miles in 3-days for the love of the “great out-of-doors”; a Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Tour; a Kittie Knox birthday ride, and other outdoor activities. Now with a new gravel bike, you will find more of Keshia’s adventures taking place off-road to explore and learn more about these lands and their original stewards. Plans to visit several National Monuments, bike packing trips, and finally embarking on a journey into gravel racing are just a few of the many spirited endeavors that await. She’s looking forward to all the new connections she’ll be able to make with the gravel and bikepacking communities.
Maritza Arango
PORTLAND, OR
she/they
IG: arango_mari
Feminist, activist, researcher, podcaster, atheist, creative, museologist, foodie, skater, human. Colombian living in Portland, riding a bike with my amazing dalmatian service dog, Amélie. I design exhibitions for a Science Museum. I write stories and make podcasts for a Portland community media outlet devoted to cycling and low-car life, questioning and advocating for the place that women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ2+ humans have in the community. With A.eRe.Te, a podcast I produce in Spanish, I speak about censorship and the underrepresentation of women in the arts. I live my life and do my work always through an equity lens aiming to provide safe and worthy spaces for all. There is no justice without equity and no equity without the celebration of the differences. As a person with an invisible disability, I will be able to bring Amélie with me on longer rides thanks to the electric bike I am receiving with this scholarship. I look forward to continue advocating for underrepresented humans to have visibility and representation in public spaces with better, safer, and more sustainable mobility.
Noah Chavez-Bonilla
LONG BEACH, CA
he/him
IG: noahx1999
Thank you so much for selecting me! I’ll be using this scholarship for transportation for my new job. I’ll be using the financial portion to help me buy clothes for my new job as well. I’ll also be sharing it with my mom to help us pay bills these upcoming months. I’m beyond grateful.
Pat Robinson
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
any pronouns
IG: pattyps_patpat
I am Pat! I am from Cleveland, Ohio. I live in San Francisco, California. I’m HIV+. I’m riding in the AIDS LifeCycle for the first time. That’s a 545-mile bike ride to LA. I will use the money to get a new bike for the AIDS LifeCycle.
Shakeesha Semone Jeffries
ATLANTA, GA
she/her
IG: lookwithinsha
Biking is life for Shakeesha Semone. She feels most like her true self when the wind is blowing by her in the woods or on city streets, while on a bike. As a homeschooling mother of 2 great children (ages 11 and 15) , a kundalini yoga teacher, art photographer, and bike instructor, she shares with everyone she comes across, the joys and benefits of biking. She calls herself the “Bike Pusha” for that reason, she loves to push bikes!! If you don’t ride a bike, Shakeesha will definitely get you to buy one quick and ride it!! She’s a firm believer that biking changes lives. She plans to use her scholarship of a road ebike and gear to join longer biking expeditions, bike camping, and to start a biking organization for black girls in her communities.
Taneika Duhaney
SPRINGFIELD, VA
she/her
IG: msadventurer1
Taneika is a Virginia-based, Jamaican-American cyclist, who is focusing on off-road cycling-gravel and mountain biking. Her aim of taking up space in these less diversified communities is intended to show and invite BIPOC cyclists, primarily women of color, that off-road cycling is also for them. She finds strength in challenging endurance events, that provide emotional, mental and physical therapy. Taneika plans to invest the scholarship in off-road cycling diversification initiatives within her community to empower BIPOC cyclists to explore the less beaten path. Such initiatives include introducing and mentoring BIPOC cyclists in gravel adventures, bike packing, and a MiniMe project to encourage mothers to ride with their children.
