Everyday Cycling Heroes: Sajda
Sajda had never been on a bike before discovering Bike for Good. Fate must have led her to come across Bike for Good South Community Hub, as something inspired her to come through our doors and get to know us.
Sajda went on to have 20 lessons learning to cycle with us, starting as an absolute beginner and progressing to cycling unassisted on quiet roads. She continued to borrow a bike on loan from us once a week over the space of a year, to build her confidence. Now she assists our cycle trainers with lesson teaching!
“The motivation of the instructors has inspired me to persevere with my cycling journey. I would have given up without the encouragement I received. This really helped me to build my confidence.”
Sajda was approached recently and asked to assist teaching a group of women and girls at her local Southside mosque, Al Farooq. Thanks to the confidence she had built up, she happily accepted this challenge and now started teaches other Muslim women to cycle.
“The young women we teachat Al Farooq did not think cycling was a possibility for them. Now they can see that all people can cycle, including Muslim women who wear the hijab. The young women are loving the lessons and are sad it has had to stop because of coronavirus. They see that the hijaI think Bike for Good are breaking down barriers of stereotypes and enabling more people to cycle.”
The next stage for Sajda is to commute to work by bike every day, something she never thought she would be able to do. She is working out a safe place to store her bike overnight.
“Cycling is an investment in myself to get active, to exercise, and to have a low carbon footprint. Bike for Good is an amazing resource, it is so accessible, and I can just pop in for advice when I need it.”
Hear from Sajda herself below, being interviewed in Summer 2019:
“When I’m sitting on a bicycle, that’s freedom for me.”
Spokes People – Sajda from Geraldine Heaney on Vimeo.