In this episode, I connect with Esther Walker, Executive Director of Outride, a non-profit launched by Specialized Bicycles with the mission of providing research, cycling programs, and funding to empower all people to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of cycling.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
👉 Outride website
👉 Riding For Focus Grant
👉 Outride on Instagram
👉 Outride on YouTube
👉 Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, a book Dr John Ratey
👉 Specialized Bicycles
👉 Bike Works Kona
👉 Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation
👉 My Bentonville Playlist
👉 Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
👉 Coach Sam Balto and Bike Bus World
👉 My episode with Mara Mintzer, Growing Up Boulder

If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams
2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month
3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee"
4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc., to help support my pro bono work with cities

Credits:
- Video and audio production by John Simmerman
- Music via Epidemic Sound

Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list

For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
- Active Towns Website
- Active Towns on Bluesky
- Weekly Update e-Newsletter

Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.

Since 2010,  I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."

The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.

Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.

Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2026