Blazing New Trails
It’s Thursday evening. As most people settle in for the night, Southern California Edison Health Specialist Sean Roy loads his mountain bike onto his car and hits the road. His destination: Mammoth Mountain Bike Park.
Sean rides at least once a week, seeking new trails near and far, from Santiago Oaks Regional Park in Orange County to the Sierra Nevada up north. He uses SCE’s Preventative Health Account, which provides $400 for fitness activities, and puts it toward a season pass to Snow Summit and Mammoth Bike Park, both with custom trails designedfor biking that include jumps and terrain features.
“I sort of stumbled upon the sport around 2001 when my friend borrowed a bike and took me out with him,” Sean said. “I was immediately hooked.”
Sean’s initial passion was short-lived, though. His biking friends got married and had kids. Some moved across the country. For years, he focused on his other love – snowboarding. But snowboarding requires snow and local mountains have been seeing smaller snowpack and shorter seasons each year. “I sat there scratching my head and thinking, ‘what am I going to do without snow,’” he said.
It was biking that got Sean back on the mountains he loves. “The thrill of speed keeps me coming back,” he said. “If I’m going for a jog, my mind is constantly thinking. With biking, there’s so much going on that forces me to focus and get in the zone – all of my daily worries fade away.”
Sean’s never been one to stay still for long. He grew up with sports, playing football, soccer and golf throughout high school. And he loves fitness. “I wanted to be an athletic trainer when I was in college,” he said. More specifically, he was interested in helping people build strength to help prevent injuries. That desire brought him to SCE where he’s worked in the fitness center for more than 13 years. He leads the company’s wellness program, traveling throughout SCE’s service territory teaching employees how to prevent injuries.
Through his travels, Sean has met countless coworkers who share his interest in biking. He often takes his bike along to meetings and hits the trails with them after work.
“Mountain biking is a great community,” said Sean. “Everyone stops to check on each other and look out for you. The mountain and trails are my second home.”
