More Than a Ride: Why Our Alliance with Branch Out is Personal

Sometimes, a partnership is built on business goals. Other times, it’s built on a shared journey. Our strategic alliance with the Branch Out Neurological Foundation is personal: both our founder, Laura, and Branch Out’s founder, Crystal Phillips, are living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We both refuse to let a diagnosis define us, instead we’re using the bicycle as a tool for resilience, research, and recovery.

The Branch Out Neurological Foundation is a Calgary-based non-profit that funds brains on the brain. They focus on neuro-alternative research—looking at how non-pharmaceutical interventions like nutrition, technology, and exercise can improve the lives of people with neurological conditions (from MS and Parkinson’s to Alzheimer’s and depression).

For Laura and Crystal, cycling isn’t just a hobby—it’s a vital part of their health management. MS is a complex neurological challenge, but the physical and mental benefits of cycling are undeniable:

• Neuroplasticity: Exercise helps the brain build new pathways.
• Mobility & Strength: Staying active is key to maintaining function and fighting fatigue.
• Mental Health: The joy of the ride is a powerful tool against the cognitive and emotional toll of chronic illness.

Alberta Bike Swap provides the bikes that gets people moving. Branch Out provides the research that proves why moving is so essential for brain health.

We appreciate Branch Out because they see the whole person. They understand that for someone with a neurological condition, a bicycle is a vehicle for independence and health. We are honoured to stand alongside Crystal and her team as we prove that life doesn’t stop with a diagnosis—it just picks up speed.

Support brain health research by checking out Branch Out’s upcoming events or donating to their neuro-alternative research funds. And if you’re looking for your own two-wheeled medicine, we’ll see you at the next swap.