FOUNDER/RIDER

Jay is a youth Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Clinician at Nelson Bays Primary Health in Nelson, New Zealand. His work focuses on establishing or re-establishing connections to family, friends, community, and environment. He enjoys mining or creating opportunities by determining the strengths/ interests in every young person and sourcing ways for them to follow their goals or dreams. Jay’s passion growing up was long-distance running, and when injuries forced him to quit the sport, he turned to bicycling. He is an avid road cyclist and believer in health and wellness through recreation and physical fitness.

Purpose statement

My purpose on the board of NAIT4HYP is to assist wherever I can to utilize the considerable skill sets of this group of people to maximize our efforts in promoting mental and physical wellbeing for American Indian young people. I have found indigenous worldviews in both Māori and American Indian cultures to be comprehensive in their understanding of the mind/body connections in promoting good health. I have dedicated myself solely to working with young people this past ten years as I feel this is a critical and complex period of development in any person's life.

Having struggled myself mightily during this period as a young person with alcohol and other drug dependency, I can certainly empathize with others struggling in any number of ways. Having pursued a degree as a registered social worker I am now privileged to work alongside many young people in helping them to achieve their goals whatever they might be. I now understand some of the structural issues facing indigenous peoples and seek to promote equity rather than equality in my efforts to raise awareness and promote wellbeing in all people.

LOGISTICS LEAD

Craig lives in Seattle, Washington, and just recently semi-retired from the Maritime Industry, where he has been employed since 1978. Growing up in a military family, he has lived in Hawaii, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Washington, and Oceanside, California, where he enjoyed competitive swimming, surfing, and being a lifeguard. He attended college at California Maritime Academy and was trained to be a deck officer on commercial Merchant vessels.

He has been involved in the Pacific Northwest Cycling community for many years. Like many things in his life, he jumped in headfirst and began with spin classes, which led to the cycling community, which led to buying and building bikes, endurance riding, cyclocross racing and gravel adventures. For Craig, cycling provides community, fitness, mental stability, and joy. Recently, he suffered a serious health issue and feels that cycling will play a big role in his reassessment of motivation and expectations.

Purpose statement:

During high school I got involved with drugs and alcohol. My journey there was like many others. It started with fun; moved on to fun with problems; and ended with problems. I got sober on January 2, 1985. Although I had a life before that time, my real life began on that date. Not everything was easy, nor is it now. Later I had some health issues, which would have ended my time here had I kept drinking.

I have known Jay since 1990. Initially we met through mutual friends and our friendship has grown from there. We have spent many days flyfishing, camping, hiking and enjoying each other’s company. As Jay’s family grew, our friendship remained strong, but our activities waned. We both came to cycling at different times but have shared and supported each other’s passion. My interest is in sharing my passion for cycling with the young people we encounter on this tour and gaining from their perspectives.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS LEAD

Betsy is a physician who lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania whose specialty is Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Her practice has focused on health and wellness promotion through lifestyle behaviors for the past 15 years. It is Dr. O’Neill’s belief that true health can only be achieved when body, mind and spirit are addressed simultaneously. Native communities have always understood this and serve as strong role models for non-native communities.

While there are no federally or state recognized native tribes in Pennsylvania, existing native communities include the Eagle Medicine Band of Cherokee, Eastern Delaware Nations, Lena’pe Nation, Northern Arawak Tribal Nation, Yukayeke Taino of Pennsylvania. For the first 31 years of her life, Betsy lived in close proximity to the Menominee Indian and Sokaogon Chippewa (Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) Communities in Wisconsin, and she continues to have contact with those communities when she visits home.

Purpose statement:

I am interested in promoting a holistic model of health in all groups. My intentions in participating in this event are to learn about successful health promotion initiatives among youth of native communities, to partner in any possible way I can to continue or grow those successes, and to help spread them to other community groups, both native and non-native. I would like to help identify perceived barriers to sustained or improved health and assist with bringing awareness of those barriers to potential change makers. I also look forward to making new friends and colleagues along the way.

COMMUNICATIONS LEAD

Julie is a registered architect and co-owner of HKP Architects, located in Mount Vernon, Washington, on the ancestral lands of the Salish Coastal Tribes including the Swinomish, Lummi, Upper Skagit, and Samish communities. Her work is focused in designing highly sustainable projects that improve the health and welfare of her client communities, whether it be through education, social services, recreation, conservation, sustainable agriculture, or equitable housing. She is currently a public hospital district Commissioner, interested in providing equitable access to quality health care.

Community involvement has been at the core of Julie’s desire to give back, serving in board positions on numerous organizations including WE Ignite, Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland, Skagit Women’s Alliance Network (SWAN), Economic Development Association of Skagit County (EDASC), Skagit Artists Together, City of Mount Vernon Arts Commission, and the American Institute of Architects Washington Council.

Purpose statement

I have had the great fortune of working for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe on multiple projects and I envy the way in which these communities prioritize the health and wellness needs for their tribal members so successfully. Our work has included facilities for dental services and training, social services offices, domestic violence shelter, wellness, housing plans, and master planning efforts, allowing us the opportunity to work with incredibly dedicated leaders and providers.

My interest in this venture is to continue to learn from our American Indian communities how to build, maintain, and promote a more healthy and sustainable way of living that is less taxing on our human and natural resources. I hope to join Jay for the western portion of the Tour, through Washington, Idaho, and Montana, visiting familiar and new nations with an open mind and heart, creating new relationships, and listening to the youth’s perspective on barriers to their success that can be reduced or eliminated.

PROGRAM LEAD

Jon has been an educator and coach for over 40 years with certifications by US Ski and Snowboard, USACycling, and the League of American Bicyclists. He spent 25 years as an elementary science teacher and is currently finishing his 6th year as a middle school physical education teacher. His current curriculum focuses on health and wellness through a balanced lifestyle of fitness, strength, flexibility, and coordination through yoga and sport.

Jon lives the “Birkie” life as an elite-level nordic skier and cyclist. Jon lives in Los Ranchos, New Mexico and currently teaches students from several regional Pueblos and the Dine’ Nation.

Purpose Statement:

It is a privilege to assist with this project, as I see it as an extension of some of the communal opportunities I have teaching in a Charter Middle School with a diverse population of Hispanic, Native Indian, and Anglo students. Being able to share my passion towards health, wellness, physical activity, and mechanical tinkering/maintenance in a new part of the country, and to learn as much, if not more, than I might be able to share through my varied educational experiences will be an honor.

The route in this tour follows a path parallel to another journey Jay and I shared at an earlier time in our lives. It would be through different (hopefully much more mature and compassionate) eyes, hearts, and muscles that we will find our way and find new friends.

FUNDRAISING LEAD

DeAnne has dedicated her personal and professional life to making others smile. For more than 40 years, DeAnne combined her skills with her compassion for her dental patients. What resulted was a successful business and a dedication to helping others. Memories of a childhood, when access to good dental care was not a given, prompted DeAnne, who became a dental hygienist, then a dentist, to pledge her skills to help those in need. In addition to caring for patients who were able to pay, DeAnne provided critical care to those who could not.

Dr. Blazek graduated from the University of Minnesota Dental Hygiene program in 1981, worked as a hygienist full time and attended evening classes to complete dental school prerequisites. She graduated from Marquette University School of Dentistry in 1988, completed a General Practice Residency at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Minneapolis in 1989 and then began private practice in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Now semi-retired, she remains extremely active. Since Community Smiles Dental was founded 14 years ago, she has shared her considerable dental skills with both professional staff and patients. She is an active longtime member of the Lions Club and serves on its board, mentors dental students at Marquette University, and serves on the board and teaches at the Pankey Institute, which provides advanced dental education.

Purpose Statement:

I was honored to be asked to participate in this extraordinary event and to help facilitate in any way I can, my brother Jay’s dream to offer hope and support to Māori and American Indian youth. He is so passionate about his work and wants to leverage not only his skills but his heart for young people through this project. I have opportunities through my own work to impact the lives of underserved and share the passion to love, give hope to and encourage our youth. I look forward to sharing my time, gifts and treasure to this amazing project.