Osborne Celestain

I am a Bike Club volunteer

Osborne Celestain, The Community Light Foundation

36 years.

That's how long Osborne Celestain worked offshore in the oil and gas industry.

It's also how long Osborne waited to pay it back. And build a community. And be a part of something bigger.

Osborne worked for 36 years, thinking his retirement was all planned out. But a single bike ride altered his path and his plans for the bike.

He used to train for triathlons when he worked. He spent most of his home time in the gym, the pool, or bike. Training for a triathlon was his other job. And he kept training after retiring, just like he planned. And he planned to keep racing triathlons after retiring.

During Covid, all of the events he was training for were canceled. Osborne, like any athlete, was disappointed his plans were taken from him. "I was sitting at home just like angry because I couldn't go ride my bike," said Osborne.

As time went on, Osborne realized he was lucky. Luckily he'd only lost races. Luckily he had not lost more like so many others during the pandemic.

"When people were dying all around us," said Osborne, "and I'm complaining because I can't go race my bike, right? And so coming out of that 2021, that's when I met Adam [Vanderburg] and Mike [Wozniak] in Bike Club."

Osborne was channeling his efforts into organizing a ride to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Black Wall Street Massacre. "I went for a ride with Adam and Mike [Wozniak] to talk about the route," said Osborne. "Speaking to Mike and learning about Mike's passion for helping underprivileged kids with bikes, struck a chord with me."

Mike and Adam invited him to a Bike Club meeting. And it opened Osborne's eyes to what Bike Club was up to. "And I went inside the gym and saw all the bikes. I was truly amazed. The bikes, the helmets, and I knew right away that this was a special program with some very special people."

Growing up, Osborne said, "You had to ride a bike because that was your right of passage. If you're going to hang out with your friends, you have to go to ride a bike." But now, it's different. Kids spend less time outdoors and fewer kids ride bikes.

And with decreasing time spent in PE classes for kids, Osborne says the benefits of the bicycle are exponential.

Osborne says simply getting kids outside to burn energy has benefits. "You can get frustrated during the day. You ride your bike and get a good workout in. I think it alleviates a bunch of that," said Osborne.

Osborne says that bikes have a different role in black communities as well. "We all had bikes as a kid, and after a certain age, bikes aren't cool anymore."

"Bike Club," said Osborne, "reintroduces kids to biking, and it can show kids that there's a bigger future to biking.

And seeing bikes in their community matters. As a volunteer at Monroe Demonstration Academy, Osborne says seeing kids and volunteers changes perceptions of bicycles and access.

"It can take you out of your neighborhood to a different neighborhood," said Osborne. "It can also take you to places you don't see."

For Osborne, who describes himself as a community builder, bicycles are another means of building a culture and community. Osborne uses the bicycle to raise money for people dealing with food insecurities. "All that works together," said Osborne.

Osborne recalls specific students in Bike Club as examples of the power of Bike Club. He told the story of a child living in the shelter at the time. He did not know how to ride a bike. The student was unsteady and unsure Osborne said. He mostly rode by himself if at all.

It took a few weeks. But with the volunteers encouraging him and the child gaining confidence, Osborne saw the moment the bike changed his character.

"We were riding in a group," said Osborne. "And he hit a patch of gravel, and his back tire kind of swerved." Osborne chuckled remembering it. "Before he'd probably crash, but he managed that situation."

The child had a huge smile on his face. It really changed this student's whole demeanor towards the bike and his other students. "It was like, Wow! Just to see that improvement by taking some time with him," said Osborne.

Osborne shared how Bike Club opens doors and different ways of thinking.

"It opens a door into another world, especially in minority communities," shared Osborne." Typically we see football, basketball, and baseball, but cycling opens up another door with all different types of cycling, whether it's BMX, mountain biking, cyclocross, road biking, or gravel. It's another door that kids can explore."

Osborne says there is no structure for anything other than the big three sports. "If you don't know cycling, you're not familiar with it, it's a brand new world," suggested Osborne. "Bike club built an infrastructure to introduce kids to cycling, and I think that's one of the biggest values of it."

Bike Club unlocked the potential of bikes for Osborne too. It showed him how to build a community, feed people, and help kids transform.

All it takes is a bike ride.

If you are learning more about Bike Club or volunteering, please contact contact us.