In just a few short weeks, a group of 13 local students will pack their bags, board a plane and fly overseas to make up the first group of youth cyclists ever to be represented at Cycle Jamaica, a popular event that draws riders from all over the world.
“They are really, really excited,” said Toyia Barnes, director of CREATE Inc. “Just to even have a passport excited them. It’s gonna be cool.”
CREATE Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in Baldwin County that works to improve the opportunities for children to succeed.
The organization facilitates quality youth cycling programs, promotes equitable opportunities and focuses on greater inclusion of women and vulnerable populations in the sport.
In addition, CREATE also offers travel opportunities for its participants, and it was at a large cycling event in Atlanta last year that cyclists from Baldwin County stood out among around 2,000 other riders.
Representatives from Cycle Jamaica were on hand promoting their event, and they noticed the talent, speed and intensity that the Baldwin County students were riding with and approached Barnes to see if they would be interested in making the trip overseas.
For her part, Barnes knew that such a trip would give the students many benefits — a greater bond with one another, a chance to learn about a different culture and a brand-new experience to name a few. And so, the planning, training and fundraising began.
The trip is set for Nov. 30 through Dec. 4. The group will fly into Montego Bay, where they will stay at the Bahia Resort. Barnes said of the 16 people going — 13 kids and three adults — this will be the first time on a plane for most. The kids range in age from 9 to 17 and are students from Lakeview Academy, Oak Hill Middle School, Baldwin High and GMC Prep.
On the trip, the kids will cycle each morning to earn a total of about 17 to 20 miles per day. The afternoons will be set aside for tourism and learning opportunities. They’ll get to visit places like The Green Grotto Caves, where they will learn about aspects of slavery and see slave trade areas. They’ll get to visit destinations where they’ll learn about Spanish history and culture as well as the history of dreadlocks, and they’ll even get to take a swim in Dunn’s River Waterfalls.
To be considered for the trip, students had to meet certain qualifications. They will travel with a group, so they’ll have to ride about 14 miles per hour and travel a minimum of 20 miles. They’ll do this for three days in a row.
“They have to be able to keep up with the adults,” Barnes said. “They have to be able to ride a certain amount of miles per hour, so that’s why these particular kids were able to do it.”
The kids headed to Jamaica have been riding with CREATE for a year now, and they practice at least twice a week. While people from all over the world travel to the event, the number of participants is limited to 100. The kids will be with a small group of people on their rides, and Barnes said they’ll be in what’s called a “no drop zone.”
“In cycling, there are people that ride really, really fast, and they will tend to drop you where you are left in that group,” she said. “So with this particular ride, there’s no dropping and they have people that will actually help [riders] get up hills.”
She explained it’s a protected ride with others surrounding the cyclists to help when needed.
“I’ve heard people call it a luxury ride because you usually don’t have that.”
Barnes said they are continuing to fundraise for the trip. She is still in need of donations to help cover expenses such as travel insurance and cycling bags among other necessities. Donations can be made at https://createwithus.net/donate/ or paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2025027.
“Any help that people can provide, it would be greatly appreciated,” she said.
Barnes said she is also thankful for the support of local sponsors including Community Baptist Church and 100 Black Men of Oconee-Milledgeville.
As the group counts down the days now until the big trip, Barnes is hopeful for a great cycling event, but it’s really about much more.
“I want our kids to experience life and leave there saying, ‘I’m capable of doing anything I can set my mind to. If it’s possible, I can do it.’ And so we want our kids to dream, we want our kids to experience things, we want our kids to not put themselves in a box and say … ‘I’ve never done it; I don’t think I can.’ … My hope is that they will just experience it and eat it up and want more for their lives and want to do better and be better. That’s my hope for them.”