Bicycle Network’s innovative MIND.BODY.PEDAL program was today named as a 2016 VicHealth Awards finalist in the Encouraging Physical Activity category.
MIND.BODY.PEDAL addresses the health and wellbeing of teenage girls by empowering them to get active through __bike riding. Bicycle Network runs the initiative through its Ride2School program with free events at secondary schools throughout Victoria and Australia.
Victorian Ride2School Manager, Sarah Diamond, said Bicycle Network was thrilled to see MIND.BODY.PEDAL acknowledged and hopes that it will inspire more schools and students to get involved in the program.
“We developed MIND.BODY.PEDAL to help get young Australian girls active to improve both their physical and mental health. To be nominated as a 2016 VicHealth Awards finalist is awesome recognition and shows that we are making progress,” said Ms Diamond.
“Only 10 per cent of Australian adolescents are physically active, with teenage girls twice as inactive as boys in the same age bracket. It is vital that we address this and get MIND.BODY.PEDAL out to as many schools as possible.”
The initiative supports and celebrates the differences that make girls unique and addresses issues of self-esteem and confidence that hold many back from __bike riding. Sessions at schools include bike riding skills as well as workshops on mental health and being comfortable in your skin, facilitated by program partners Headspace and Lush.
“We believe that riding a bike is the best form of physical activity, but we discovered that there a number of unique barriers stopping young girls from cycling. MIND.BODY.PEDAL was developed as a rounded way to address these barriers,” added Ms Diamond.
Information from schools that have participated in the program indicate that it is making inroads, with reports showing the number of students now riding to school has doubled. More than 20 per cent of girls have also reported that since taking part in MIND.BODY.PEDAL they are now walking or riding to school every day.
VicHealth CEO, Jerril Rechter, said the quality of nominations was fantastic, and reaffirms Victoria as a world-leader in health promotion.
“These groups are tackling some of Victoria’s biggest health promotion issues and making a huge difference to the lives of so many Victorians,” Ms Rechter said.
Around 400 girls have participated in MIND.BODY.PEDAL since it launched in May this year. Last month it was taken out of Victoria with a two-day event in Hobart. Plans for further visits around the country are being made.
The winners of the 2016 VicHealth Awards will be announced in Melbourne on Thursday 1 December. You can follow the awards online using #VHawards.
Click here for the full list of finalists and categories.
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