After biking through 16 states and covering 4,450 miles this summer, senior Mitchell Mayfield returned to Northwestern State University of Louisiana to launch its first-ever cycling club.
Mayfield, a biology major, serves not only as the founder of the new cycling club, but as captain as well. In addition, he’s the president of the Interfraternity Council and the president of the Beta Omicron chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.
Mayfield had the opportunity to bike across the United States to raise money for people with disabilities. He had to bike over 100 miles per day numerous times but got through the intense and long summer days by being part of a community that was making an impact.
“So I went from Seattle, Washington, all the way to Washington, D.C. I got the chance to ride through the continental divide, over Mount Rainier in Washington, and to go over Shenandoah in Virginia. I got to see two mountain ranges and meet with people every day with different organizations across the country. I was able to visit and meet different people with disabilities, and it was a great experience. I loved it so much,” Mayfield said.
Before embarking on the cross-country trip, Mayfield had no prior experience with cycling.
“I wasn’t a cyclist before. Being from Louisiana, there’s not a big cycling program here, and there’s not really much interest in cycling. No mountains, always hot and humid. So, I really enjoyed being part of a community that was making an impact,” Mayfield said.
Motivated by his experience, Mayfield received approval to start the cycling club in July. The group was founded alongside advisor Greg Handel, sophomore Tyler Dupuis and junior Owen Stutzman as its first members.
The club is currently working to join a competitive league. As a club sport, it isn’t part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, but the team is looking into joining USA Cycling, the national governing body for the sport.
“We’re in the process of looking to join. But right now, the future of the club is going to depend on what the membership is. Although we are a club sport, we have the option to do races and to compete, but we are looking to do other things as well,” Mayfield said.
One of these “other things” is to give back to the community.
The cycling club’s first ever event, the Bike-A-Thon, is a charity event on Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be a joint event with the Beta Omicron chapter of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, and the Bike-A-Thon will be raising money for the Red River Special Olympics.
The Red River Special Olympics is an annual event hosted by NSU. After his experience over the summer, Mayfield explained he wants to continue supporting people with disabilities through the club’s efforts on-campus.
The cycling club hopes to grow its membership to expand into competitions and races while using its passion to give back to the community.
Students interested in joining the cycling club or contributing to Bike-A-Thon donations can contact [email protected] for more information.
