Age 21
Young Woman from Armstrong Bikes Across the Country, 6690 kilometers, to Prove that Anyone Can Do It!
“The greatest impediment to social change is people’s lack of belief in themselves and their capabilities. A lot of people are scared to believe how great they can be. So just accept your greatness and do something!”
On May 31st, 2009 Rachel Moxham got on her bicycle and began pedaling steadily for the 6690 kilometers from Vancouver to arrive in Halifax on August 13th. Rachel instigated her solo bike trip across Canada to raise awareness and funds for the education of young girls in Ethiopia, through “imagine1day”. This non-profit organization, started by the founders of Lululemon to advance primary education in Ethiopia, also helps people identify and harness their passions for effecting change in the world.
Rachel wanted to demonstrate how much potential and strength one person can have. “I don’t consider myself an athlete, and I only started biking about six months before this trip. I wanted to prove that once you get past your physical limits, you can do anything. Our minds put restrictions on us, so if you believe you can do something, the job is half done already!”
Rachel, who is 21 and grew up in Armstrong - a community of 5,000 people - just completed the Global Stewardship associate degree at Capilano University. She is currently an Activity Leader at the Norvan Boys and Girls Club in North Vancouver, where she leads programs for school-age children from low-income families. She is also an educator at Ivivva Athletica, a branch of Lululemon with a dance-inspired clothing line for young girls, where Rachel facilitates workshops with young women that promote confidence and a positive body image.
Rachel first became interested in international development after coming across a chart in the globalization chapter of her social studies 11 class textbook which demonstrated how much lower the literacy rates of women are compared to those of men. She was so struck by the statistics that the issue of education for women, both in developing countries and here in Canada, has stayed with her to this day.
Rachel’s confidence in her own abilities to promote change stems in part from the encouraging words of her father who told Rachel as a young child to keep dreaming, especially when she got older and that various distractions might thwart those dreams.
She wants to be someone who inspires others to make changes in their lives, however small. “I believe it’s very important to live life in a meaningful way, to have a purpose. So many people just go through the steps and routines. But you’re only here once, so why choose to live that way? You don’t have to bike across the country, you can start by simply biking to work.”
