Marineusa on earning her bike, “Black Beauty”
By Britt Appleton, Social Media Specialist
Marinuesa earned a bike at a Create a Commuter workshop in February and wasted no time making it her own. She named her KHS “Black Beauty” and attached a basket to the rear rack draped with a Brazilian flag. Marinuesa grew up in Brazil on a farm. “We all had bicycles,” she explains. “And I did all kinds of crazy things with my bicycle on the dirt road. Oh man, I had so much fun. And then after that, I had bicycles in my life. I always rode.”
Marinuesa, her husband, and her two children rode frequently when they lived in Germany, but when they moved back to the US they had to sell their bikes. Marinuesa’s husband got a job with Goodwill three months ago, and is hoping he will be able to find a bike there. Marinuesa was in a class at PCC Workforce when she overheard someone talking about a program where you can earn bikes. “I said, ‘Excuse me, what did you say? I really need a bike, and I really like bikes.’”
Marinuesa loved the workshop. “I learned a lot about bikes. I always had bicycle but I had a bunch of brothers and they took care of it for me. So they explain how to change everything, especially with the gears. I didn’t know they had so many gears. I was panicking. How am I going to do this? But then we practiced and it helped. After the workshop, I came straight here [Kenton Station] and all of my friends were here. They said, ‘Do you want to sell it? I’ll give you $400.’ I said ‘No, she is not for sale. She’s mine. I’m not selling.’”
Marinuesa appreciates what the bike does for her health. So does her doctor. “I have high blood pressure,” says Marinuesa. “And that really helps. Even the doctor said it got much better.” She also noticed a change in her happiness. “Sometimes at home I feel like eh, I’m not going anywhere. But I pull out my bicycle and as soon as I’m going I feel good. It helps your spirit.”
She is excited to figure out how to ride her bike to her new job in housekeeping at Jubitz. “Housekeeping is not just about cleaning,” Marinuesa adds. “I am doing something for somebody. I am giving. It’s a thing that pleases me.”
Thank you, Marinuesa, for sharing your story with us.
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For more interviews with past Create a Commuter participants:
In his own words: Dan on earning a bike
In his own words: Juan on earning a bike
Support the Create a Commuter program with a donation to the Community Cycling Center here.