About Us

Laura has a BA in Journalism and Communications, and has had many different careers – college teacher, communicator, journalist, sporting goods guru and public education advocate. One constant has been her connection to and support of public education. She’s been on 10 school councils in two provinces. She recognized the simple freedom of getting on a bike to get places is not available to many kids in our city. Which makes it even more frustrating that teens, like her children,  that have the opportunity and tools, don’t because it’s somehow uncool. Covid provided the push to get her vision of a new non-profit into reality.

Carolyn grew up in Calgary as free range kid on her bike roaming through Beaver Dam Flats,  Carburn Park and Fish Creek imagining she was exploring inhabited lands.Now she’s switched gears - as a presentation specialist at Green Calgary getting out to schools and communities sharing her enthusiasm for promoting sustainable living. She has been  mission for three decades telling stories about the joy of cycling throughout her career as a journalist in three provinces, she carved out her own “active transportation” beat, wearing producers down until she got approval for another cycling story. 

Dimitri loves Youth En Route because it merges four of his favourite things: biking, volunteering, urban geography, and biking! He works as a municipal planner, but has previously worked in the realms of mainstreet vibrancy and bike-share systems.

Born in Mexico and having lived in New York and Canada, Ivan holds a BA in Industrial Design from Mexico City’s UAM, partial studies in Product and Furniture Design at the Centre for Design, Television and Film in Mexico and a Master’s in Planning from the U of C.He has been involved in social entrepreneurship, social innovation, planning and sustainable tourism projects. He has collaborated in different roles with Start Alberta, the Downtown Ambassador Program, the International Avenue BRZ and the 12 Community Safety Initiative, as well as the Victoria Park BRZ. He is currently an urban and regional planner at Township Planning + Design in Calgary, Alberta and enjoys climbing, hiking and biking in Southern Alberta and wherever he can travel to.

Adnan, a committed and forward-thinking social work student that Bow Valley Collage, brings a fresh perspective to community empowerment through cycling. He is passionate about fostering self-actualization and creating inclusive opportunities that help all communities thrive. Though new to cycling,  during his practicum at Greater Forest Lawn 55+ Society he quickly saw how a bike can change lives by offering independence, empowerment and a sense of freedom.  This made him committed to using cycling as a vehicle for social change,  in terms of collective strength of the community, comradery and resilience. 

Tim is a lifelong cyclist and an advocate for creating safe and secure places for kids and their bikes. Tim strongly values the physical and mental well-being that biking offers, especially the independence it provides for youth. In addition, Tim led the Riverside school’s bike committee in upgrading their pair of wheel-bender racks to the YER design and continues to lead his community association’s Mobility Committee that engages with the city to create safe infrastructure for active mobility. 

Chris is a retired accountant with more than 40 years of varied financial experience. While working he was an active transportation commuter (biking and walking), now in retirement he is a keen bike rider on Calgary’s many pathways. A lifelong believer in the value of cycling and walking, he is keen to see active transportation adopted by many more of Calgary’s youth. Chris is also a director and treasurer of a significant Calgary-based environmental charity.

Meghan is a registered nurse with experience in public health, pediatric care, and chronic disease management. This background gives Meghan a unique perspective on the vital role of active living, accessibility, and youth engagement in shaping healthier, more connected communities. She is a current graduate student at the University of Calgary, where her work involves improving health outcomes in chronic disease through patient empowerment. A lifelong athlete and avid cyclist, Meghan believes cycling-of any discipline-is a powerful method for supporting youth independence, connection, and wellness. Guided by the belief that the bike is one of the best ways to connect with one’s community, Meghan is dedicated to getting more youth on bikes.

Kimberley was a board member with Youth en Route from inception. Over the past year, she's taken on a range of activities, including working at schools as a Cyclist in Residence.  She's now our programming lead, ensuring success at schools. Her claim to fame, aside from being on the board Vélo Canada Bikes board of directors since 2014, is her ability to get new riders balancing. Her record is about 16 minutes.  She is the former president and an active volunteer of Bike Calgary.  Kimberley first fell in love with biking when commuting 11km to high school.

Chris is an athletic therapist, strength and conditioning coach, and mountain bike coach with years of experience working with youth programs and running his own coaching business. He is passionate about making cycling accessible and improving communities through better bike routes. For ten years, he commuted to work by bike, a routine that improved his health and saved on parking. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors.

Sam has 14 years of experience in competitive cycling, including road, track, mountain, and cyclocross racing. She spent five years in Belgium competing on the UCI circuit with European teams and has a strong understanding of cycling, from racing and commuting to bike maintenance. Sam enjoys teaching young riders and helping them see how biking can be both practical and fun.  In her free time, Sam cooks, hikes, and love to spend time outdoors.

Mario’s journey with bikes began in Chile and grew in Calgary, where he worked as a mechanic and shop manager for over a decade. At Youth en Route, he maintains the bike fleet, leads the Bike Giveaway program, and teaches cycling and repair skills to students. Passionate about community and accessibility, Mario believes bikes can change lives and works to ensure more people experience the freedom and joy of riding. In his free time, he enjoys biking with his daughter, creating art from bike parts, and exploring the city.

Olivia Johnson serves as the Cyclist in Residence with Youth en Route in Calgary. She believes movement in nature is essential to healthy living and works with students to explore cycling as an accessible way to get around the city. Once afraid of cycling as a child, Olivia discovered her love for riding during a summer of bike-packing adventures across Bragg Creek, Drumheller, Fernie, and the Okanagan. That summer helped her overcome her fears and shaped how she relates to cycling. Knowing that cycling can open up new worlds, she hopes to bring that same energy to others.

Olivia enjoys integrating cycling with other activities and sees it as an easy way to include fitness in daily life through its role as an active mode of transportation. She finds value and purpose in riding alongside students and feels fortunate to teach and uplift through movement and time spent outdoors. Olivia hopes to take her passion for movement and the outdoors internationally and is excited to see where it can take her next.