Chance to take a new road – via cycling – turned teenager’s life around

SINGAPORE – When he was in Secondary 2, Brayden Toh was not doing well. He had thoughts of dropping out and spent every day after school gaming till late.

“It affected my sleep and grades. I think I had a bit of an addiction to playing games because I could not stop myself from playing at all. As soon as I got home from school, I would just shower, eat and then start playing,” he said.

“I wasted a lot of my time in my Secondary 1 and Secondary 2 days.”

Last May, a friend introduced him to join a competitive cycling club, and he decided to give it a shot.

Said Brayden: “I felt that I needed something to guide me. I was really unsure of what I wanted to do in the future. And then I decided that I really need to take charge in my life.”

The club, Team Garcia, was founded by Mr Melvin Lee, owner of RNE Bike Shop, in 2019. The 56-year-old, who was a former gang member and was once almost expelled from school, set up the team to provide guidance to youth.

On Sunday, Brayden and nine of the club’s members, aged 13 to 23, will take part in a 128km round-island race to raise funds for youth at risk and children with learning difficulties. 

Thirty individuals and six teams – each with four members – have signed up as of Friday. There is also a non-competitive 58km category.

The event, organised by energy drink maker Klik Klik in partnership with bar chain Georges, will flag off at 6am at georges @ The Cove in Pasir Ris.

Called Shine Nothing Is Impossible X Grit Charity Cycling Event 2023 (with Grit standing for Go Ride, Inspire & Transform), it aims to raise $50,000 for charity organisation Shine Children and Youth Services.

Shine provides early intervention for children with learning difficulties, as well as counselling and leadership development programmes for youth at risk of dropping out of school or who have committed theft, drug or minor offences. 

The organisation supports around 6,000 children and youth each year. Donations can be made on Give Asia at

https://shine.give.asia/campaign/grit2023

Shine executive director Lee Seng Meng said it is “incredibly proud to witness the power of community coming together to support and empower our youth. We believe that with the right opportunities and encouragement, every child and youth can achieve their dreams and maximise their potential”.

Shine has also held charity concerts as well as sales and golf events to raise funds.

A year after joining Team Garcia, Brayden, now 16 and in Secondary 4 in Compassvale Secondary School and studying for his N-level examinations in September, thinks differently. No matter how hard school gets, he pushes away any thoughts of dropping out.

Not even for cycling, which he loves.

“It’s not fair for my parents if I just drop out of school just to pursue cycling,” he said. “I also want to make my parents proud, not just by cycling, but also by showing them that my grades are well, and I can have a good future.”

Being on Team Garcia’s training committee and planning training sessions has made him more responsible, he added. The youth development team now has 70 members.

“Joining the team has really made me more responsible. It’s really hard to manage my time as a student and cope with studies, friends, family and continuing my training every week,” he noted. 

The team trains 1½ hours on Thursdays and four hours on Saturdays. 

Team Garcia’s older members also mentor the younger ones. Brayden said he is inspired by the discipline and maturity of his seniors in the team.

“The people who surround me in that team have really helped me grow,” he added. “As a younger person, I’m really not sure what I should do in my life. I’m still learning, and the older people really taught me a lot, like why I shouldn’t give up on my studies even though I may not be doing well.”

“Many people my age tend to give up very easily when faced with troubles… But after joining this team, I realised that I do have a fighting spirit. I try to impart that thinking to my peers,” he said.

Brayden said he has talked a friend out of dropping out of school. He also got his younger brother, Rayden, to join Team Garcia.

Rayden, 14, has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and was almost expelled from school. But since joining the team, he has become more focused, especially when he is training for races, which he is now passionate about. He will also be taking part in the 128km race on Sunday.

Brayden said he is considering studying sports management in polytechnic. He also hopes to become good enough to join the national cycling team. And he wants to pay it forward. 

“I want to be someone like Uncle Melvin,” he said, referring to Team Garcia’s founder, Mr Lee. “He’s able to help those people who are really troubled to find their path in life.”

Mr Lee said he hopes to see the club’s youth grow up well. “I have seen some of my boys now having good careers. It’s really good to see such things happen in my life.

“I hope those senior boys can come back to educate the juniors, to share their experiences and cheer them up while they’re in the club.”