Finding Strength in Speaking Up.

Vincent Rhino's Man Ride Story.

By Black Sheep Cycling

October 18^th, 2021

Suffering with Mental Health issues can be challenging for anyone. Suffering from Mental Health issues in silence can be all-consuming. After losing his job at the start of the pandemic, and fresh off the heels of a broken relationship, Vince Rhino shares his experience with Mental Health and the strength and support that came from asking for help when he needed it most.

Mental health can best be described as a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.

Growing up, I never would’ve fathomed myself going through mental health issues but the reality is, everybody goes through it one way or another, as it is a natural part of life.

"I would wake up each day and tell myself 'I'm fine, I have a roof over my head, food to eat, and clothing on my back'."

At the beginning of 2020 I had just gotten out of a relationship, and had a lot of unresolved issues that I needed to overcome, however I would wake up each day and tell myself “I’m fine, I have a roof over my head, food to eat, and clothing on my back”. However as much as I told myself I am fine, deep down inside I wasn’t.

Without much resolve I found myself becoming more reclusive and lacked the energy to be social when amongst friends. Shortly after the pandemic hit, we were forced into isolation. The feeling of emptiness and being alone was amplified. To make matters worse, I was recently unemployed and days felt like an eternity as there wasn’t a lot to keep me occupied throughout the day and because we were in daylight saving, the daylight outside lasted, but not for long. I found myself lost in the void. I had no motivation to even complete basic tasks like laundry and groceries.

I went from riding 8-10hrs a week to barely 3 hours a week. My fitness had diminished severely. However I am thankful to have found a friend in such dark times. My teammate and now best friend Kevin reached out to me randomly one day and asked to go for a ride. Kevin and I spoke a lot, and he told me about the mental health issues he had dealt with in the past, and wanted to assure me that I wasn’t alone in what I was going through. Kevin helped me out of a dark spot, to where I even felt comfortable seeking professional heath for my unresolved issues.

I started seeing a therapist, and that helped tremendously. With my therapist, I was able to make an action plan and hold myself accountable. Warm weather had yet to hit us, so most of the riding I was doing was done virtually on the trainer through Zwift. I decided to follow a training plan, and it was really nice to have set a goal for the end of the training plan as it was something to work towards, and I was able to track my progress along the way. The first few weeks were tough, however I told myself the physical suffering on the bike outweighs all of the mental pain I was dealing with earlier in the year. Kevin helped me through this as he would log on sometimes and we would do Zwift workouts together.

“The first few weeks were tough, however I told myself the physical suffering on the bike outweighs all of the mental pain I was dealing with”

Riding the trainer is nothing fun at all, but when you have friends to do it with, it makes it that much better. Knowing somebody is going through the same things you are. As time went on, and the days became longer, and the weather became nicer, my overall mood shifted. I was in a much better mental space, and things were beginning to look up.

Fast forward to now, I couldn’t have asked to be in a better mental space, I had the best racing season of my life, I moved out of my parents house, and started working at a Cycling company in line with my passion to race bikes.

“I often think back and reflect about the dark times and I am so thankful to have had the support and resources to get through that rough patch.”

To anybody reading this, know that however you may feel, you are not alone in what you’re going through. Don’t be afraid to seek help, it was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself.