RIDE OR DIE | Brendan Sorichetti, Instructor

Meet Brendan – a Toronto Instructor who joined the roster in 2018, but take his class and you’d assume he had years of RIDE under his belt. Brendan teaches with an infectious love of sweat, music and physical challenge, all while creating a welcoming, authentic and smile-inducing vibe. You can feel his love and appreciation for the RIDE community in every class.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Whitby, Ontario.

Can you remember your first RIDE class? How long did it take until you realized you wanted to become an Instructor?

Very vividly actually, I was on bike 15 and a friend of mine brought me to the studio telling me how much I’d love it. Little did I know it was a RIDE vs. Young Money class which just brought back this rush of high school nostalgia in combination with this new vibe I had never experienced before. It honestly took me such a long time to come to grips with wanting to be an Instructor, spin was always something I told myself I wouldn’t teach so I could just enjoy it as a Rider but thankfully Alex fulfilled her responsibilities as Lead Instructor and pushed me out of my comfort zone and I signed up for the auditions.

How would you describe your teaching style?

I would describe my teaching style as energetic and empathetic. I do my best to make sure everyone knows what they’re doing, and I want to ride WITH the class so that we go through the tough parts together. This makes sharing those high’s so much sweeter (and sweatier).

Best part of being an Instructor is…

The best part of being an Instructor is the interplay between teaching the class and the class impacting you in return. If you are lucky enough to have clients message you or tell you after class that being there “turned their day around” it makes you feel special and you want to reciprocate that feeling to every single client in the room. Alternatively, that moment when a new song starts and you hear a “WOO!” from a spot in the room you wouldn’t think to hear a peep from it is like a shot of straight adrenaline.

Track you’ve had on repeat

Stutter (Double Take Remix) [feat. Mystikal] by Joe

AM or PM RIDES?

Both in the same day would be LIT…but I’m a big AM guy.

Favourite way to sweat outside of RIDE?

Barry’s Bootcamp, Studio Lagree, or if I’m lucky enough (and smart enough) I’ll be front row centre in any one of Meg Coffey’s incredible yoga classes at Yoga Tree.

How has becoming a RIDE Instructor changed you?

Being a RIDE Instructor has changed me by constantly challenging me. It never gets easier and I feel the same nervous energy before every class. It also made me feel at home in a city I always fantasized about living in growing up.

The entire community at RIDE made me want to do anything to try and fit in. It took me a long time to realize that since the core of RIDE is authenticity, if I wanted to be a part of that I *sighs for the cliché* had to be myself. It’s so effing true though…but that’s the beauty of RIDE is that if you just be yourself, you will feel better and have a more authentic experience. When that happens it’s the realist thing because it’s actually YOU that’s getting better, not some “version” of you.

Go-to quote or words to live by?

“When your roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind”

Who motivates you?

My Family.

Favourite book?

Freakonomics or Leonardo da Vinci or Thug Kitchen.

What’s your #1 life hack?

Get excited about breakfast, it helps you fall asleep and gets you pumped to wake up in the morning…also, life is too short for bad coffee so get that good stuff and start your day off rrrrrrrrright.

Where can we find you on a Saturday afternoon in the city?

Either instructing a class and about to take one right after or taking a class and then instructing right after.

Any hidden or not so hidden talents?

I played the drums for a long time and was in a RUSH cover band in high school. Since the drums aren’t the most “apartment friendly” musical instruments I stick to guitar and also really love to cook.

If you could brunch with any person (past or present), who would it be and why?

Da Vinci would be my like “television answer” but he’d probably just be drawing on his napkin the entire time…so I’d choose Robin Williams. I idolized him and whether it was his ability to make me laugh until I cried or just straight up cry, he was one of a kind and meant so much to so many people. I mean Aladdin AND Good Will Hunting?? #RANGE

Best memory since you joined RIDE?

My best memory probably was during a fellow Instructor’s community class. At that point I still felt on the outskirts of the community as I didn’t really know that many people at RIDE yet and even though I was on the schedule, I still felt super self-conscious.

This particular memory happened on a Sunday where I taught at RIDE in the morning and then Alex came to my Lagree class later on and we both walked to the studio to do Emily’s community class in the afternoon.

Halfway through class I realized I wasn’t thinking about anything other than just riding and this overwhelming sense of happiness swept over me and to this day I don’t think I’ve ever felt such a high in a class. The combination of seeing a new friend teach such an insanely incredible class in front of such a supportive and enthusiastic community instilled in me this sense of belonging I had been longing for.

#1 piece of advice for someone looking to have a killer RIDE?

No matter who you are or what your perception of “spinning” is, you belong at RIDE. Accept that.

What has you stoked on life right now?

Making Toronto home. I’ve fantasized about calling Toronto home and RIDE has helped me realize that in a big way…that and more tattoos.

What does RIDE mean to you?

RIDE means growth. It pushed me out of a comfort zone I didn’t even know I was stuck in, it gave me friends I never thought I’d get the chance to make, and it challenged me emotionally which I never thought a “workout” could do. It continues to make me feel as though I am an authentic part of something…like if the cool kids invited you to come sit with them at lunch time…but instead of lunch….you all rode stationary bikes to incredible music, in a candle lit room, and then cheered and cried and waved towels around and then gave each other sweaty-elongated hugs afterwards?

Yeah….RIDE means everything to me.

RIDE with Brendan – find him on the Ossington Schedule.