Meet Will Cortez

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Will Cortez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Will, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I love all of these questions because at their core they are so interconnected and inextricably intertwined. Let me get on with it…

The word resilience is a bit of a trigger word for me. It reminds so much of how the expectation of me under systemic oppression is to be responsible for being able to weather the storm. I will be judged on my ability to shoulder that burden – how well I meet the challenge or rise above it…to build resilience.

I used to equate resilience with work ethic. As an immigrant to the united states, I had to work very hard (primarily academically) and because of the position of immigrants in society, that intense work ethic only brought me level with everyone else. In order for me to rise up, I had to sacrifice culture, my community, my friends, and my family. The intense work ethic resulted in isolation, impatience, and competitiveness. In the moments I’m caught in deep reflection do I realize that I was assimilating into a culture of independence and leaving one of interdependence.

And then over the last few years, after the murder of George Floyd and the formation of my BIPOC community cycling group (BikePOCPNW.com), did I learn that resilience is about my network. It’s about the community of people, the relationships I’ve cultivated, and how it was more than my positionality within the constellation. It was about being a part of the entire constellation and how we weathered “all of it” together. And I don’t lose myself or my uniqueness. I am stronger for being in community. I’m stronger for opening myself up to invite love and care in.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Outside of being a cat dad and finding time to train for cross-country mountain bike racing, I keep myself engaged and connected.

In my day job, my title of Accessibility Project Manager means I’m actively planning and acting to reduce barriers to access for the disability community in parks & natural spaces. It can be physical barriers or systemic ones. For the last four years, I’ve been actively building space for people of color to connect and collaborate as the co-chair of an employee resource group for people of color. Outside of my agency, I chair a DEI committee that serves parks, recreation, nature, and aquatic providers and land managers across the state of Oregon.

When I hang up my government hat at the end of the work day, I get to planning for my community cycling group called BikePOC PNW. It’s an all-volunteer run outdoor recreation group for people of color based mostly around Portland, Oregon. Collectively we bring ideas, lived experiences, trauma, love, pent up rage, brilliance, creativity, sadness, hope, and so on. The mission of this group is to take up space and do so intentionally. The intentionality comes from actively working & challenging systems of oppression, especially within our own BIPOC communities.

Since BikePOC’s inception, we’ve held community rides that connect us to local BIPOC owned businesses, WTFNB only rides & trips, gravel rides, mountain biking, cyclocross racing, bike handling clinics, bikepacking, camping, educational workshops, and more. We exist to empower and inspire folks. What started with three friends has blossomed into a collection of leaders in the cycling community…slowly changing the face of what is a white, male dominated activity.

As we head into 2025, we’re most excited for strengthening the community connections we’ve made with local businesses, destination management organizations, community based groups, non-profits, and public agencies. We’re looking to develop a curriculum for wilderness first aid that incorporates trauma release exercises, get our ride leaders officially trained in off-road cycling handling, expand our ride offerings to include participation in established cycling events, and build indoor educational programming for our once a month bike mechanic night. Additionally, I’m excited to create more processes that facilitate the building of better relationships with non-BIPOC partners.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Curiosity – never stop being curious. I say this more than just committing to being a life-long learner but also being curious about people. Curiosity can help us build patience and space for ourselves and others. You do have to be careful that your curiosity doesn’t turn into judgement.

Quiet – not only is this essential to hearing what is happening in your soul, your mind, and your heart…but also it gives space to people around us to share their truths and experiences. A practice I bring especially to people in my life who tend not to speak much is to take a breath before you want to respond or interject. I’ve found that the pause gives the other person more space.

Compassion – this goes without saying when we are working with each other but let’s not forget to have compassion for ourselves. I carry around a photo of myself when I was very young. When I’m feeling activated or triggered, I try to remember to take out this photo and ask myself if I’m taking care of the young version of myself. If he was with me right now, am I doing everything I can to help him feel safe and seen? Am I practicing compassion?

I would encourage everyone to seek out someone they trust to begin these conversations. I definitely think this can be a therapist but don’t fall into the trap of only seeking guidance from those who practice western psychology. Find yourself mentors, leaders, guides, therapists who root their practice in indigenous wisdom.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

The place that I’m growing the most is also my biggest challenge…coming up against opposition within my own communities – those with shared identities, similar life experiences, all of it.

In those tough interactions with others who seem to want to derail me, slow me down, challenge me, etc…I bring Curiosity, Compassion, and Quiet into play. I lean on these three ideas over and over, in very iteration, and multiple times. It brings me perspective and gives me the opportunity to pay attention to my body and how I am being triggered in the moment. I also remind myself that some of the loudest of us and the quietest of us are still trying to find our voice in this world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bikepocpnw.com/
• Instagram: @bikepocpnw
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willcortez/

Image Credits

Will Cortez, Howard Draper