Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is hosting the third annual Bike-A-Thon for Men’s Mental Health at KPU Tech.
Participants will take turns cycling on stationary bikes to keep the wheels turning continuously for 24 hours.
The goal of the event is to encourage conversations about mental health during Movember.
“The premise is very simple — just getting people thinking more and talking more and using exercise as an outlet to do so,” says Stephen Dockery, electrical instructor in the Faculty of Trades and Technology at KPU.
Dockery says it’s important to have these conversations, especially with young trades students.
“I work with these young men all the time,” he says. “I know we have to talk more; we have to communicate more and we have to get rid of our burdens in a healthy way, and that’s what this event is about.”
Dockery says trades students benefit from KPU’s support services even after they finish their program.
“We have lots of support services. One of them is counselling. We all benefit from it in some way. Beyond that, when they go into the workforce, they still have access to all of these supports for up to one year afterwards.”
Dockery explains events like the Bike-A-Thon for Men’s Mental Health help continue the conversation.
“We’re definitely finding that some students are more lost than ever in the big bad world but their willingness to take leadership, their willingness to use support systems that are there for them is ever growing. The tide has changed on this idea that you stay quiet and you don’t seek help. The new generations are evolving and they’re a lot better for it,” he says.
The Bike-A-Thon starts at 11 a.m. on Nov. 21 and ends at 11 a.m. on Nov. 22. To participate in the event, become a sponsor, or donate to the KPU Movember Team, visit the Bike-A-Thon registration page.