Everyday Cycling Heroes: Olivia
Before engaging with Bike for Good, Olivia had only cycled as a child. As an adult, she lacked confidence to cycle and didn’t feel a passion for it.
Now in her mid-20s, we first engaged with Olivia when we delivered a 10 week Wheelbeing block to participants from Phoenix Futures Recovery Hub in Anniesland.
The purpose of delivering this session was to improve participants’ fitness and mental health, and show them how to access different parts of Glasgow by bike.
The 10 week cycling block had an extremely positive impact on Olivia. Her fitness levels increased enabling her to cycle longer distances, and her attitude towards cycling changed. Olivia’s mood increased and she generally seemed happier and more chatty with the group and us.
From day one of the sessions we identified that Olivia was very competent on a bike. and possessed leadership qualities. Throughout the sessions Olivia was given the opportunity to lead portions of the ride and deliver pre-ride checks.
Putting Olivia in this leadership position really helped to build her confidence, to the point where she made the decision to come back and volunteer with Bike for Good to help lead rides. Volunteering and the sense of responsibility has had a positive impact on other parts of her life, helping her complete her journey from recovery to re-entry to the community, and prompting her to take on other volunteering opportunities across the city.
Olivia now volunteers with us on a regular basis helping to deliver rides to a new group from Phoenix Futures. Additionally, she assists with delivering some of the Women’s Wellness Yoga and Cycle sessions, and has been involved with our Women’s Mountain Bike sessions too.
Olivia intends to keep on volunteering with us as much as she can to ensure positive change continues.
In the future, she will also be taking part in the City and Guilds Build Your Own Bike course to help develop her mechanical knowledge, so she can add to her skillset and volunteer in different areas of the organisation.
Olivia has also been supplied with a discounted nextbike membership through the Bikes For All programme so she has access to a bike. This membership will alow her to continue to build on her physical health and wellbeing through cycling, and access appointments and volunteering commitments around Glasgow.
If you’re interested in volunteering at Bike for Good, please apply here.
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