BikeLifeRex: Philadelphia man inspires city youth through love for bike riding
PHILADELPHIA - For Rex, biking is a lifestyle and it's one that has changed his life.
"I got bullied a lot in school," he said. "I started riding bikes and felt better. I used to skip school and everything to ride a bike."
As he grew older, obtaining parts to fix the bike became more challenging and he struggled to find anyone who would help him with common issues like a flat tire.
With what felt like no options left, Rex started robbing people to get the money to fix his bikes.
He says he spent a little less than two years in jail for those robberies and the experience changed him.
Now, he's dedicated to giving back to the community and keeping kids out of trouble through his passion for riding bikes.
"I did what I did with the bikes to take the pain away from myself. I felt selfish. I felt like I'm a person of this stature that's got all this stuff going on and I'm not helping nobody," he said.
His experience working with inner-city children has given him an opportunity to improve himself and help the community.
Rex says he is also working to teach children how to better handle conflict with others in the city.
Rex combines his love for bike riding and the community to donate bikes to inner city children and help them stay out of trouble.
In a situation where a bike he gave a child was stolen, he gave the boy another bike instead of using force to get the old one back.
"I'm a good guy. I have a big heart," Rex says. "I never had nothing and I want to give everybody everything. That's what I am. Just let me be Rex."
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