At the height of the pandemic and increasing racial tensions in the United States, Chris McGarrell found himself in a dark place. With gyms and basketball courts closed, Chris would return from work, curl up on his couch, and immerse himself in the social injustices in the world playing out on social media. It was then that two events would change his life. As restrictions were lifting, Chris noticed one of his friends would cycle to the basketball courts. Around the same time, Chris bumped into another friend who was noticeably fit after he discovered cycling. Chris knew what he had to do.

Chris made a pledge with a friend to purchase a bike to navigate the pandemic and started to share his experience as a cyclist on social media. The former captain of his High School football team pulled together a few friends to form a different kind of team and that’s how ManDem Cycling Club was formed. In this episode, we discuss the commonalities between the running and cycling community and Chris shares the secret to the club’s success or what he calls, the “sauce.” ManDem Cycling Club has been rapidly growing under Chris’ leadership and what started out as a pledge between two friends is now a prospering community with a strong foundation built on respect, community, and altruism.

To learn more about Chris, you can follow him on Instagram at: @116morningside

To learn more about ManDem Cycling Club, you can follow them at: @mandemcc

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