Week 5 Journey of a Campus Cycling Officer: History of Female Cycling, Cycling Scotland Conference and Scotland Physical Activity Conference
Monday 5th of November; inspiring story that leads into the history of women in cycling and routine of quick 5am run, shower and dash for the train to Edinburgh.
Do you ever notice when you start to think about something it seems to come up all of the time?
Since starting this job, I feel like I live, breathe and eat cycling. My passion and love seems to comes out and I end up speaking about cycling to most people I meet.
Today I met an inspiring 71-year-old woman who shared her story of cycling with me. At the end I asked if I could share it on my blog, she was so pleased I wanted to.
Mary grew up in Edinburgh with her mum and two sisters. Her mum taught her and her sister how to cycle when they were very young. She said she remembers being the first in her class to ride a bike to school.
Her mum’s passion for cycling came from Mary’s gran. A woman who grew up in a time where women were not permitted to cycle. Her mum wanted to ensure Mary and her sisters took part.
Many people used to believe that exercise could seriously damage a women’s health and could even lead to death. When this was disproved, many still believed that exercise was a man’s activity.
This changed for women in the early 1900s, when cycling became a tool for liberation. The suffragettes used cycling to make a political statement. Many women followed taking their bikes to the streets to fight for their rights.
It was also the first time where women could independently travel, without relying on men to drive them to places.
Although we are currently going through a period of controversy in terms of gender and equality. We have came a long way from those ideas.
Mary really made me consider how far society has progressed. I can’t imagine the outrage there would be now if women were told they were not allowed to cycle or vote.
Sure, there are still many barriers that prevent individuals from engaging in cycling and physical activity. However, it is no longer considered a threat to female health.
Mary finished by telling me all of her happy memories of cycling, she said it has played a huge role in her life, giving her a sense of empowerment and freedom unlike anything else.
Tuesday 6th of November; The Annual Cycling Scotland Conference in Dundee
Today was the Annual Cycling Scotland Conference. The conference was held in Caird Hall in Dundee. It was so inspiring and encouraging to be around so many likeminded people whom share the same vision and values.
I went for a frosty run at 5.50am and headed for the train. I am starting to get used to commuting. I really like it in the morning when I get to see the sunrise. I arrived in Dundee at around 9.00am. I met up with my awesome colleagues at the train station. We walked through the city to Caird Hall.
Today was the first time I have visited Dundee, it is a really lovely city. The local government have invested a lot into regenerating the community, transforming the water front and pedestrian area in the city centre.
The conference was full of inspiring people, presentations and different cycling organisations. We attended a range of talks throughout the day and browsed the cycling stalls during the break (the stalls were great and had awesome freebies!). Me and the other campus cycling officers were super chuffed to get a free cycling bag, pen drive and entered a competition to win a free mango bike.
Although all the talks were great, two really stood out for me today;
Angela van der Kloof, Member of the Dutch Cycling Embassy
Her whole speech was inspiring, it really showed the power cycling can have on communities and individuals lives.
One project that stood out focused on increasing ethnic minority groups access to cycling and integrating them into Dutch society.
The project provides access to bikes, cycling training and support to empower individuals to cycle. She showed a video which demonstrated the impact that the project is having. Allowing people to gain confidence in themselves, feel safe and integrate in the Dutch community.
Isla Rowntree, founder of Isla Bikes
The one thing that stood out for me the most was Isla’s passion for making cycling and active travel the easier, more attractive choice for everyone. Making cycling to work an unconscious decision, just like brushing our teeth, we cycle to work or uni. No fancy gear or bike, just the road, the wind and the liberating feeling of cycling.
Her speech resonated with me the most as she talked a lot about the things I want to do in my career; make cycling feeeeeel accessible for everyone.
Its sometimes not enough to provide the bike, the skills and the training. If we don’t feel like cycling is for us or we don’t have the confidence, then we won’t get on the bike.
It was really empowering to see intelligent women share their thoughts and ideas.
All the talks were great. They all communicated a huge passion for cycling and active travel in Scotland. It has never been more crucial time for our health and our environment.
I feel really lucky to attend conferences and events like this. This internship is such a great opportunity to meet incredible, like-minded people, network and develop as an individual. So far, I feel like I have learned a lot more about what is going on in Scotland and I am excited for the future.
Wednesday 7th of November; Scottish Physical Activity Research Conference (SPARC) at The University of Edinburgh
I attended this conference last year and loved it. It was the first conference I had attended that provided the option to stand, physical activity breaks and a super healthy, vegan lunch.
This year was just as insightful.
Key themes and points I took away;
-People benefit so much more from the social aspects of exercise than the physical benefits.
-Sharing stories about how physical activity has changed people’s lives resonates with us more than statistics and health status
-Walking is hugely beneficial and is often overlooked. It can completely change people’s life from a mental, physical and social perspective.
-There will be an update to the UK physical activity guidelines in 2019. Aiming to make the guidelines more relatable and achievable for everyone.
My favourite part of the conference was definitely the mid-afternoon yoga break. Yoga has always been a passion of mine. I absolutely love that SPARC incorporate it into their conferences. The simple, refreshing movements used make yoga accessible and achievable for everyone.
Thursday 8th of November; applying for funding, organising Christmas led rides and creating a Facebook page
Quick 5am run, shower, prep lunch and head for the train. Today was mostly computer based, I had a lot of things to catch up on after spending two days out of the office at conferences.
I spent a large part of the day writing the funding application, with mini-breaks for other event planning.
-I asked a few awesome colleagues if they would be interested in organising a Christmas led bike ride with me. I thought it would be a great opportunity to get everyone together at Christmas. We could all decorate our bikes with tinsel and lights. Prizes for the best dressed bike plus hot chocolate and cake.
I remember taking part in the Stirling Cycle Hub Christmas Night Ride a few years ago. It was such a lovely experience, everyone got together, shared stories and enjoyed tea & homemade cake.
I also started the #30daysofbiking in chilly November challenge today. I am planning to document my cycling journey every day to support and inspire us all to keep active this winter. For our physical, but most importantly our mental health.
Something as short as a 15-minute walk can really make a difference. However, it can be tough to get out in the dark cold nights. If we can all do it together, it might feel just that bit easier.
Friday 9th of November; Lothian buses making public transport accessible for everyone, planning and applying for funding.
Cold and frosty this morning. The stars were still out, and everyone was still asleep as I ran through the streets of Stirling at 5am.
The train to Edinburgh was jam-packed, overflowing with people, bags and bikes. Squashing through the crowd, I was surprised I managed to get myself and the bike off in one piece. Made it to the Sighthill campus at 8.30am, enough time to reply to emails before heading for a few meetings.
Really productive day of planning events and applying for funds.
I spotted this poster in the bus stop today. It breaks down how to use the buses in Edinburgh. This step by step process allows everyone to know how to use the system. Plus, they have translated it into 5 languages. I have never seen this before. I thought it was a great idea. The bus system in Edinburgh is completely different to the one I am used to. At first, I struggled to understand that you don’t need to say your destination.
I think this is a great step towards ensuring people have access to public transport. I hope it encourages tourists to ditch the car or taxi and hop on the bus. #Greenerscotland.
Another inspiring week. I love to hear people’s stories and have the opportunity to write about them. Thank you so much for all of the support and kind words. It is so lovely to hear people are enjoying and taking the time to read my wee blog.
Slightly changing the format next week. I am planning to research and find out how people stay active during winter.
Kommentare