One of the new faces you’ll see helping people out at the HUB is that of Zuleima “Zuli” Jimenez. We’re stoked to have her on staff at the HUB, and asked her to tell us a little about herself so we can all get to know her a little better!
Tell us a little about yourself…
Born and raised in Oxnard, Ca…Spanish with a Mayan influence was my first language. My passions include learning and creating. I love to create various forms of art on canvas and on soil (gardening) as well as in many other forms. I Love to share my passions with the community and youth. I Have worked with the Oxnard youth for many years now, currently with La Colonia youth, who are now on their 3rdCommunity Mural. I am also a community birth worker and Yoga instructor.
How do you see the bicycle as a tool for change?
The bicycle has always been a quick get-away/ outlet for me. A huge stress relief and feeling of freedom that brings clarity and changes my perception of things both in my personal view as well as the view of my surrounding environment. The streets of Oxnard are not so bike friendly, so when I moved to the Bay and saw all those brightly green painted bike lanes… I was excited, to say the least. (Yet, a little jealous that my community doesn’t share that same idea of a shared space with those who bike). I was a full-time athlete at the time (cross country/ track) but got injured, so my fixie became my absolute best friend, still able to get that same distance workout in without straining the muscles that needed rest/ recovery.… I had a very successful season thanks to my bike, and we are now going on 7 wonderful years of road biking all over the Bay down to Malibu, so far. I do hope to expand those miles and explore further on my bike this year. I do dislike cars and more so the fact that I need one to get to certain places because I can’t necessarily do it all on my bike (right now…), but I do ride to work and anyyyywhere I can when I can. I am striving to become more knowledgeable in the mechanical aspect of a bike as well as get my community, family and friends to feel safe when riding a bike, being that safety is a huge concern/ stigma when considering riding along Ventura / Oxnard streets.
What do you want to do at the HUB?
I am excited to grow and connect more with the biking community in Ventura and Oxnard. My favorite part being the learning and sharing of stories of various
passions for riding. The “Why” and the “How” part of the stories are so fascinating and amazing how they all tie into the fabric of positive social change and an
understanding of one another.
A bike has always been, not only a literal, but a metaphorical form of a revolution for me…