Celebrating success - Top, left: Sarah Banker set the perfect mood for the evening with her acoustic stylings and soothing voice. Right: Executive Director of Peak-to-Peak Endurance Gavin Coombs took a moment to thank all of the supporters in the crowd. Bottom, left: Sweet Sue’s was packed with those who wished to celebrate a monumental first year for youth-focused recreation.[/caption]

Throughout 2023, from competitive races and entertainment to educational and inclusionary programs for elementary school kids learning how to ride a bike for the first time, the name Peak to Peak Endurance (P2PE) has become synonymous with events and programs centered on outdoor recreation and youth.

From an invigorating early morning 5k run in the brisk March weather for Nederdays, the fan favorite Ned Gravel and Lefthand Gravel Bike Races, to their premier events at Eldora, including the Fall Fun Run and the Morning Grind Uphill Ski Series, P2PE has had a busy year.

“Ned Gravel was just a wild idea that I came up with shortly after moving up here,” Executive Director Gavin Coombs spoke about the impetus that sparked the idea for P2PE back in 2020. “I had never done a bike race, I was a runner. I would go to Leadville and run the races up there, and the Leadville foundation that they started that supports the youth of their community, I saw that and I wanted to do the same thing here.”

“I started P2PE originally as a for-profit LLC with the intention of turning it into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. January 1, 2022, we launched officially and that was a culmination of a few years of work but we’re now able to use these events to give back to our community,” Coombs said, commenting on the fact that this year P2PE’s events brought more than 2,000 people to Nederland and raised $23,000 to be used to bolster youth oriented programs.

In addition to these special events, P2PE spearheads many programs and fundraising efforts for area youth, including the Ned Ned Trail Fest, which raises funds for TEENS, Inc., and the Ned SHRED program, which is a partnership with the Nederland PTA and Singletrack Mountain Bike Adventures (SMBA) to provide third grade to fifth grade kids with mountain biking opportunities and instruction.

“We’ve gotten over 200 kids on bikes,” Coombs talked excitedly about the Ned SHRED bike program. “In May we taught a handful of kids how to ride a bike for the very first time, and to see them come from learning how to ride a bike on a soccer field to, this October, getting to ride on the trails around the school and ride to Mud Lake, it’s just a really incredible thing to see.”

On Wednesday, November 1, 2023, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sweet Sue’s, the P2PE Board of Directors, Executive Director Coombs, President Carl Fritschel, Secretary Jennifer Karowe, Events Co-Director Barry Lee, Board Members Helaine Mann and Steve Rowntree, and Treasurer Kaitlyn Silbaugh, welcomed members of the public to celebrate their first year as a 501(c)(3) non-profit business.

Guests were invited to meet and speak with members of the board, while enjoying delicious salmon and mozzarella and tomato bruschetta appetizers, sourced by Sweet Sue’s, sipping on a beer provided by Busey Brews, and listening to the soothing acoustic stylings of Sarah Banker, who played her own chill renditions of classic rock songs for the crowd.

Coombs gave a speech thanking all of their supporters, funders, partners, and volunteers who have helped make 2023 such a successful year.

“Endurance is the ability to withstand or overcome adversity; we took that concept to a whole new level. Our organization is not just about endurance in the physical sense but also the endurance of the human spirit, the endurance to overcome obstacles, and the endurance in the pursuit of a more equitable and just environment.”

“We hope that through the programs that we’re running we’re creating a community for our youth that helps them to endure the hardships that they face in life everyday,” Coombs continued and mentioned the exciting prospects that P2PE has beginning in the new year.

“Looking into 2024 and beyond, some of the goals that we have are expanding the Ned SHRED bike program and looking to increase the number of grades that we’re able to work with. We’re also looking to raise significantly more money so that we can continue to lower or eliminate costs completely for these programs. A goal of ours has always been to reduce costs to as low as we possibly can get them so that there is no barrier for entry for these programs.”

“We’ve launched Peak to Peak Basketball, which is a brand new youth basketball league that is starting in January. We just took over Peak to Peak Soccer, and we’re also supporting a new and innovative outdoor education curriculum that fosters every child’s natural sense of adventure and exploration and teaches lifelong outdoor skills and knowledge; that program is currently running at the elementary school.”

Coombs concluded his speech with heartfelt words about the vision for P2PE moving forward.

“We aim to expand our reach, to engage more organizations, with more communities, and to maximize our impact in any way that we can. We want to inspire others to join with us in this journey and we firmly believe that by doing so we can create a positive change that extends far beyond what we’re doing here in town.”

“P2PE is a testament to the human spirit and the capacity to endure and overcome obstacles. It’s a testament to the belief that small and consistent actions can create meaningful change. Our journey is ongoing and our mission is clear in that we will continue to support programs that empower the youth of our communities.”

2024 is already looking to be an exciting year thanks to all the expertise and hard work that P2PE puts into their events, making each one a fun and memorable experience.

For more information please visit; https://www.peaktopeakendurance.com.