Michael O'Brien Riding Over a Bridge
Rise 2 Ripple Challenge

Michael O'Brien, founder of Pause Breathe Reflect™ — the lifestyle brand on a mission to promote mindfulness, community, and stress reduction, embarks today on the Rise 2 Ripple Challenge. A 45-day cross-country bike ride, the Rise 2 Ripple Challenge will kick off in Astoria, Oregon, and conclude in Yorktown, Virginia, along the way spanning 4,300 miles and 10 states. The ride is a celebration of community, gratitude, and mindfulness, and coincides with the 21st anniversary of Michael O'Brien's Last Bad Day. 

O'Brien, also a competitive cyclist, refers to July 11 as "His Last Bad Day." In 2001, during a training ride in New Mexico, he was hit head-on by an SUV traveling approximately 40 miles per hour. Despite a full-body break, his first question upon regaining consciousness was "How's my bike?" While doctors were amazed he survived the collision and didn't think he'd ride again or even walk with comfort, O'Brien was determined to defy the odds. Today, 21 years and a knee replacement later, he practices that defiance every day. 

"This moment calls for us to slow down, breathe, and heal so we can move forward together," O'Brien says.

The Rise 2 Ripple Challenge is as much a charitable project as it is a celebration of mindfulness. Throughout the ride, O'Brien (@michaelobrienshift) will be raising awareness for the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) — where he received life-altering care in the aftermath of his Last Bad Day — and 45 additional nonprofits including Planned Parenthood, Feed The Children, World Bicycle Relief, To Write Love On Her Arms, and more. 

To learn more about the Rise 2 Ripple Challenge, please visit MichaelOBrienShift.com.

About Michael O'Brien

When he's not riding his bike across the country, Michael O'Brien helps companies lead mindfully and prevents bad moments from turning into bad days as the Chief Shift Officer at Peloton Executive Coaching. O'Brien is also a qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher and the founder of Pause Breathe Reflect™, an apparel and mindfulness-based company. He has shared his personal transformational Last Bad Day (aka near-death cycling accident) story and leadership advice on the TEDx stage and with multiple Fortune 500 companies.