Check-In Foundation

April Paige

Founder

April created the Check-In Foundation with one thing in mind: to provide a platform for others to openly discuss their challenges with mental health disorders in a fun, but safe environment. After suffering the death of both her brother and boyfriend to suicide, creating the foundation became a personal calling. Her hope is to touch the community that she has been part of, whether it is mountain biking, working with kids on bikes, or just enjoying a trail run with her dog, Bailey, by providing resources and support to many who remain isolated due to mental health. Together we can change the way society views suicide and provide a place of support.

April has been an active mountain biker and outdoor enthusiast for 21 years. Her background involves being a community leader with Avout Racing and the Colorado High School Cycling League.

April enjoys enjoy hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, trail running, and hanging out with family and friends.

Adam Tannenbaum

Mental Health Professional, Educator, and Advocate

Adam's passion for connecting with people and working to understand the way people work began at an early age. Finding space to connect with himself in deeper and more meaningful ways in the outdoors Adam came to understand how impactful being outside is for a person’s mental health. As a young person, Adam spent all of his spare time skiing, mountain biking, climbing, backpacking, and running in the high desert of Central Oregon. Intrigued by the way people connect with nature and people, Adam pursued a career as a mental health therapist and moved to Colorado to integrate his career with his personal passions.

Seeing how disconnected people become in their lives from the people and environment around them, Adam chose to dedicate his career to working with people who find themselves lost, disconnected, and hopeless. Adam has gained experience working at a crisis clinic, with teens in the wilderness, adults in-home and in the community, hospitals, day treatment facilities, residential homes, and in out-patient therapy.

When Adam and April sat down for breakfast on a cold day in early 2017, it became clear that these two had some important work that needed to be done in the mountain bike and outdoor sports communities. As stigmas of mental illness and suicide remain strong among the population and barriers to treatment become increasingly problematic for people experiencing feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and increasing sadness find it harder and harder to access the support they desperately want and need. As a licensed mental health professional Adam chose to join the executive board for the Check-In Foundation to raise suicide and CTE awareness, offer support, education, and youth development in the mountain bike and sports community.

Miriam Van Ek

Adventure Coordinator

Miriam is the Check-In Foundation's Adventure Coordinator. She is a recent University of Colorado Boulder graduate with degrees in Microbiology and Neuroscience. In the future, she plans on attending graduate school to study CTE. Brain health is near to her heart because many of her close friends and family have been affected by mental health challenges and suicide.

Being Adventure Coordinator is a great fit because Miriam is passionate about the outdoors. Some of her favorite activities include mountain biking, trail running with her dog, and hiking. If there's one thing she loves more than being outside, it's sharing the experience with others. She strongly believes spending time outside while being surrounded by supportive people is one of the best ways to combat mental health challenges. Her mission for the #CheckIn Adventures Meetup group is to create safe, anxiety-free spaces to have fun in nature and promote mental health awareness.

Jeff Krawczyk

Community Outreach Advocate

I have a passion for mountain biking, road, and gravel cycling and learned over the years how important it is for my mental health. I struggled in the past with my health until I found a Veterans nonprofit called Ride 2 Recovery and it changed my life. Ride 2 Recovery is a adaptive cycling program that is used for rehabilitation. I have literally seen how the bike can give these heroes their lives back! I worked directly with wounded veterans and first responders that were battling PTSD, CTE, survivors guilt, and the loss of their purpose in life. It was really eye opening and I knew that I needed to help. There are currently 22 military suicides daily and we need to help change this!

My passion for wanting to help people understand about mental health brought me to the Check-In Foundation to help raise awareness within our communities. I also volunteer with Warriors 4 Life and Adaptive Adventures. Together we can make a difference! Ride On!!

Jennifer Bolcoa, MSW

Community Mental Health Outreach Advocate

JJen joined the Check-In board in 2018. She lives in Golden, Colorado. Jen has been working in social welfare and public health for the last 18 years, since graduating with her MSW from UC Berkeley. She currently works as a health education liaison for Jeffco Public Schools, helping connect schools to resources that enhance their ability to support the health and well-being of students. Jen is a certified trainer of Youth Mental Health First Aid and the Sources of Strength suicide prevention program. She joined the Check-in board as a way of contributing to community efforts that complement her work to build capacity among school staff to respond to youth who are experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide. When she's not working, Jen loves to get outside. She snowboards, but thinks of herself as more of a summer sport gal. She is a terrible knitter, and an adequate cook. Jen is married and is the mother of two human males and two female dogs.

Jeff Doyle

Web and Graphics

Bailey

Foundation Mascot

Bailey is the official mascot for the Check-In Foundation. The name "Check-In" originated from one of his commands to "check in" or "return". Bailey has played a major role in both April and Clay Watson's life. His spirit to have fun, play outside, and lounge on the couch are constant reminders of the self care we need to incorporate into our own lives.