Four-time Olympic gold medallist Laura Kenny believes HSBC UK City Rides can have a huge impact on inspiring young people to get involved in cycling for the first time.
Speaking ahead of the first HSBC UK City Ride in Birmingham, the first of 13 free to attend events that will take place across the country Kenny said:
“I think City Rides for me are hugely important. We used to just ride on Saturdays and Sundays with my family but there was never the option to just go and ride around a closed city.
“It’s great that you can see such a large city, all over the country being closed for bike riders. I obviously love riding my bike so to see that many people out riding their bikes is massive and a huge step forward into inspiring the next generation into getting out and riding their bikes.”
Britain's greatest female Olympian @LauraKenny31 urges families to sign up for @HSBC_UK City Ride.
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) June 6, 2017
https://t.co/HdJIEU4XSm#LetsRide pic.twitter.com/93rgrnFKfo
As well as exploring the city-centre route, the event will give young riders the opportunity to test their bike handling and pick up new skills on the HSBC UK Go-Ride course. Run by British Cycling coaches, the area will feature obstacles and challenges for all levels of rider to tackle.
Kenny believes it’s vitally important that children learn the skills they need to cycle at a young age in order to prepare them for a lifetime of cycling.
“I think it’s hugely important. I started when I was eight so I picked up the skills really young and I’ve never forgotten them. It’s always much harder to teach them when you’re older because you realise that things are scary whereas the kids here if they fall off they just pick themselves up, dust themselves off and it doesn’t matter, so I think it’s really important to learn all that when you are young.”
Kenny was speaking at an event at St Matthews C of E Primary School, where the children participated in an HSBC UK Go-Ride session, were given a bike maintenance workshop and had the opportunity to ask questions about her career.
“I love coming to schools. I was eight when I first started riding a bike and so I guess for me it’s about coming here and inspiring them to get out there and get out on a bike.”
Kenny, who has taken a break from the sport after her double Olympic success, is expecting a baby with her husband, fellow Olympic champion, Jason Kenny and she is determined that her child enjoys the same active lifestyle that she enjoyed growing up.
“We loved activity and that’s what I want for our child, to grow up riding their bikes, walking the dogs, because it’s massive, having activities like that in day to day life is such a huge part of life for me.”
The HSBC UK City Rides are completely free and participants can either register their participation at www.letsride.co.uk or enter on the day.
HSBC UK City Ride programme
11 June
Birmingham
18 June
Nottingham
25 June
Southampton
2 July
Newcastle
16 July
Sheffield
23 July
Manchester
6 August
Cardiff
13 August
Leicester
20 August
Bristol
27 August
Glasgow
10 September
Leeds
17 September
Coventry
24 September
Liverpool
