GALLUP, N.M. — On June 26, President Nygren visited the Silver Stallion, which is a nonprofit bike shop located in a local neighborhood near rocky, dirt terrain riding trails in Gallup, NM. Silver Stallion’s mission is to educate and empower youth and young adults in bicycle mechanics.
President Nygren was greeted by Scott Nydam, founder of Silver Stallion and a retired pro cyclist. This visit included a tour of the shop where racks of bikes were in the process of being fixed, and bikes that are used for their biking program.
“Silver Stallion’s vision is for children and adults across the Navajo Nation to realize the transformative power and freedom of riding a bike and learning bike mechanics. Our goal is to cultivate healthy mountain biking communities and give people the tools to move themselves forward, both on the trail and in life,” said Nydam.
Most of the bikes that are received are donated and can be repaired to give away at a low cost and to continue public service.
President Nygren advised generating a list of bike supplies as an effort to connect with proper vendors, like NavajoYES, and partner with the Navajo Department of Health to help with donations to ensure the program receives the best quality supplies to keep the program running.
The Silver Stallion also has a partnership with Tailwind Nutrition that President Nygren tried for the first time to fuel in preparation for his bike ride with the crew. The crew also presented President Nygren with his bike that he had repaired.
Mountain biking is not a common sport in the Navajo Nation, and neither are bike shops. This led Nydam to drive innovation that allows him to provide bike mechanical services, education, and love for the sport across Navajo.
As a nonprofit that started in 2018, Silver Stallion has established after-school mountain bike clubs and race teams among Gallup McKinley County Schools.
“This organization is used to help promote mental health and physical well-being for our youth,” President Nygren said. “They are doing important work, and I support it.”
