Mike Majlak Mike's Bikes Foundation

by Tufail: Mike Majlak

It is genuinely insane how a single hand-me-down bicycle from 2010 can dictate the trajectory of an entire life journey, which is exactly why Mike Majlak has established Mike's Bikes to do bigger things in the addiction and mental health community. When he got clean that year, receiving that bike led him to some great things, starting with losing weight. It also facilitated getting to 90 NA meetings within the first 90 days after sobriety kicked in. That same ride got him to his original job interviews with AOL. Sixteen years later, while he obviously still rides, looking back at that specific bike feels like recognizing something really important in his journey to maintaining recovery, staying clean, and also getting healthy and finding wellness again. To expand this impact, they have partnered with an organization called Inspiring Children based in Las Vegas. Over the next couple of years, hopefully, they are going to be giving out thousands of bikes, helmets, bike locks, and bike pumps to people who need them. When I say people who need them, it means addicts in early recovery. It means people with mental health problems who are maybe getting out of facilities and need a way to get back to finding themselves, finding a little bit of peace of mind through motion and movement. The foundation plans to donate thousands of bicycles to individuals recovering from addiction and those struggling with mental health, aiming to provide tools for people getting back to finding themselves.