EP#171 KARL ROBATHAN From DARK to LIGHT: 365 Days Consecutive Bike Riding for Mental Health

Originally from Coventry, England, I grew up in the midst of an economic downfall, and decided to make my way to Vancouver at age 17 where I started a career in hairdressing.  At 21 I opened my own hair salon, Hair Mode, but quickly realized that I was struggling with anxiety and a panic disorder.  My business opened a week later than intended, which established in me a real fear of failure.  I had my first panic attack which led to high and ongoing anxiety. I found out later that the trigger point for all of this was the perception of failure, a long-standing feeling stemming from my childhood.   Depression became something I had to deal with, and when I had to take daily medication to cope with it, I found myself questioning if this is what my life was going to be like.  From there I took many steps to help find solutions and now dedicate myself to helping others as I advocate for the importance of physical activity to support mental health.  Along the journey, I took a full year and spent 365 days of consecutive riding to raise awareness and support for mental health through my website ride365.ca and my other social media platforms.  This also sparked a new creative outlet into my life, as I developed a love and skill for photography.  I captured images taken on my early morning rides, which I combined with my own philosophy to help support people living and struggling with mental health.  I don't consider mental health issues to be negative, but rather an outlet and starting point for a series of emotions and feelings and a way of sharing them.  The more we talk, the better we can feel.