Peter’s Story
Outdoor Mindset Ambassador
The Power of the Outdoors
The first time I went mountain biking, I was 12 years old. The feeling of twisting through the trails, swooping up and over hills filled me with joy, sparking a life-long love of moving through nature on two wheels. All through my life, I would head to the trails, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends, later with my partner and kids, as a way to escape the pressures and stresses of everyday life. Unwinding on that ribbon of trail, my worries would dissolve, as I focused on the basics: breathing and maintaining control, ducking in between the trees. I could be having the worst day ever, but when I found that flow, everything else would fade away.
For me, mountain biking is a refuge, a place to work through all of life's twists and turns by pushing through the actual twists and turns of the trail. It's an activity that I've turned to more often since I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilpsey at age 40, after experiencing epilepsy symptoms for a decade. I've had to navigate the epilepsy hurdles that many of you reading likely have - losing my driver's license, repeated hospitializations, a lot of testing, experimenting with different amounts of medications, questioning, and then eventually accepting my diagnosis. For me this meant changing my lifestyle to avoid possible seizure triggers, and understanding that I won't be able to do some activities. Despite some initial concerns from my doctor, I haven't given up mountain biking. If anything, I've doubled down on it - the physical activity, immersion in nature, and strong community of friends keeps me centred and feeling like no matter what twist epilepsy throws at me, I can push my way through it.
I've been fortunate to build a career as a researcher and educator, and because of this, I've embraced the need to share my story and experience. At first this was the basics, like talking with my family, friends, and co-workers about what do to when (not if!) a seizure happens. Now I am trying to share my experiences with epilepsy and my coping mechanism of mountain biking more widely, via social media (https://www.instagram.com/epileptic.mtb/), and also through volunteering as an Ambassador with Outdoor Mindset, a US-based non-profit that brings together those affected by neurological challenges (including epilepsy) to enjoy a love of the outdoors, through organizing meetups, trail activities, and more. Although I'm still new to this, I'm excited to bring together people who find adventure and a supportive community while enjoying the outdoors. For more information on Outdoor Mindset, take a look at (https://www.outdoormindset.org/).
We all experience risks in our lives. For those with epilepsy, we are presented with a unique range of risks that we must navigate.
For me, the risk of having a seizure while riding is real, but at least for now, the benefits outweigh the risks. I remember clearly one of my first rides after being diagnosed with epilepsy. It was all a lot to process and it felt like I was dragging this weight behind me through every twist and turn of the trail. I even looked down to see if my tire was flat (it wasn't). But then I took a deep breath, and as I pushed my wheels over another hill and around the next bend, I found the flow on my favourite trail, and it all seemed better.
The courage of those living with epilepsy,
inspires us and fuels our journey.
Your gift will help us to continue on the road toward an epilepsy cure.