Bridging the gap - The Trek Pathfinders Scholarship

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) has a simple yet powerful rule that guides their youth mountain bike leagues across the country: everybody rides. It doesn’t matter how fast a kid is, or what kind of bike they’re on — everyone gets to play. Or so we thought. The reality is, there are lots of kids who never even get the option, whether due to financial limitations, lack of mentors, or infrastructure that wasn’t built with them in mind. These obstacles have shaped the history of cycling, but they don’t have to define its future.

In the summer of 2020, Trek introduced the Pathfinders Scholarship to bring greater diversity to youth mountain biking and help reshape the fabric of the sport. In partnership with NICA, the scholarship provides young athletes of color with the bikes, gear, and resources they need to compete and thrive.

So far, over 1,250 student-athletes have found their place in cycling through Pathfinders. That’s more than 1,000 new riders who might never have had the chance to experience the freedom, confidence, and joy a bike can bring. It’s a number worth celebrating — not just for what it represents today, but for the ripple effect it will create in communities, on teams, and in the sport for years to come.

These kids are gaining confidence. They’re spending more time outside. They’re experiencing the power of teamwork, resilience, and personal growth — all things that should never be exclusive to those who can afford it.

And when these kids outgrow their bikes, which kids are sure to do, we’ve learned they’re passing them down to their siblings, cousins, neighbors, and friends. And suddenly those 1,000 riders are creating 1,000 more, and with each new rider comes a new story, a new perspective, and a sport that looks a little more like the world we live in.

The Pathfinders Scholarship isn’t just about getting more kids on bikes. It’s about making sure every kid feels like they belong. It’s the moment they see someone who looks like them on the starting line and realize, this is a sport for me, too. It’s about helping the next generation form healthy habits for life. It’s about a future where diversity in cycling isn’t an initiative, but the norm.

Know a kid who deserves a free mountain bike?