Luke Anderson on Mountain Biking, Choice and Building an Accessible World

Long before he was the co-founder of StopGap, Luke Anderson was the guy at Boyd Sports blasting Nirvana from the back of the shop, the cool older employee at the store owned by Greg’s dad, and someone who inspired a young Greg to get on a mountain bike in the first place.This episode is as much a reunion as it is an interview.In 2011, that choice helped lead to the creation of StopGap, an organization that builds brightly coloured ramps and raises awareness about the importance of accessibility. What started with 13 business owners in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood has since grown into a movement reaching communities all over Canada.This is a conversation about resilience, choice, accessibility, and what can happen when we take the hardest parts of our story and use them to make things better for someone else.In this episode, we talk about:• Growing up in Stouffville and working at Boyd Sports• Studying civil engineering and falling in love with the West Coast• The 2002 mountain biking crash that led to Luke’s spinal cord injury• Grief, loss, and learning to navigate a very different way of life• Hitting literal barriers as a wheelchair user in downtown Toronto• Co-founding StopGap with Michael Hopkins in 2011• Why accessible design benefits everyone• Choosing action over frustration• Meeting Rampman, StopGap’s colourful mascot• How to get involved with StopGap’s missionWe laughed, we got emotional, and we walked away with a whole new appreciation for how much of our world still isn’t built with everyone in mind, and how much can happen when one person decides to do something about it.EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCESStopGap WebsiteStopGap on InstagramStopGap on FacebookStopGap (and Rampman!) on YoutubeDonate to StopGapLuke Anderson on LinkedInWe’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us: Vienna Waits WebsiteSubscribe to Vienna Five NewsletterUNBLOCK Yourself™ ProgramCorporate ProgrammingWaypoint RetreatVienna Waits on InstagramGreg’s LinkedIn Whitney’s LinkedIn On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.