By John Renfrow, Northglenn Thornton Sentinel
BMX riders shred to combat bullying, promote mental health
On Sept. 10, students of Thornton High School were treated to likely the most extreme assembly they’ll see this year. For the second straight year, X Games athletes brought the No Hate Tour back to Colorado, stopping at four high schools this week in a campaign to end bullying and promote mental health awareness. The tour, now entering its 25th year, is run by ASA Entertainment, a leading producer of action sports events in the U.S.
Some of the world’s top BMX riders backflipped, 360-ed and tricked their way through Thornton, Northridge, Mountain View and Prairie View High Schools with a positive message, thrilling students and educators alike.
“They do (get fired up for this event),” said Jeremiah Johnson, the athletic and activities director at Thornton. “It’s cool to have these community events where we get everybody in the school together. It brings some community and camaraderie and gets everybody focused on one thing for a while.”
(1) Rider Oscar Marquez fires up the crowd; (2) Zack "Catfish" Yankush addresses the Thornton High School assembly; (3) Marquez backflips over teachers John Tinsman (left) and Andrew Kuklinski (far right).
September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. With mental health emerging as a hot topic in athletics in recent years, combining action sports with a positive message is truly valuable, Johnson said.
“All of our coaches are trained in mental health and suicide prevention,” Johnson said. “It’s a huge part of our life right now and it’s important. The more people know about it, the more we can affect it.”
The event featured renowned BMX riders Oscar Marquez, Trey Herrera, Matt Mecher and Dane Beardsley. It was also emceed by Zack “Catfish” Yankush, a pioneer BMX announcer and popular voice of the sport at major competitions, such as the X Games.
Yankush said he’s always been hyper-passionate about BMX, but for more than 15 years has been channeling that passion into the No Hate Tour. Of all the national stops the tour makes, he loves coming to Colorado, he said. He’s even moving to Denver soon.
“Colorado is awesome for a couple of reasons,” Yankush said. “I think the students here are more accustomed to seeing action sports because you guys have skate parks everywhere. A big shout-out to the municipalities here in Colorado. Action sports provides an anchor for us to kind of get their attention, and then we talk about our message.”
That message starts with curbing bullying, whether it's physical, verbal, relational or cyberbullying. It involves testimonials from the riders and Yankush in cases where they were bullied in their youth.
Using BMX as a channel for spreading a positive message is a dream come true for Yankush, who has been all over the country and the world over through the sport. It’s not just about fighting bullying and promoting positive mental wellness; it’s about encouraging students to follow their dreams.
“For me, it’s brought me so much joy in life,” Yankush said. “And I’m from nowhere in Ohio. The fact that I’ve been able to make it this far — and looking back on it sure there was hard work put into it — but I’m a firm believer that everybody has something that they’re passionate about. I think society and the media think living your dream — they attribute it to luck. If you’re doing something you love, money doesn’t matter. I’d do this for free.”
He said the impact has been huge. People approach him years later and say the tour was the reason they got into BMX or got through a difficult time.
“I’ve had students come up to me and tell me I’ve saved their life,” Yankush said. “It’s super rewarding and super awesome, and to do it through BMX is a lifelong dream.”
Learn more about the No Hate Tour on the organization's website.
