iRide Head Coach and Coordinator Ben Chaddock rallied Head Coach Wes Ochitwa and apprentices Nigel Thompson and Jeff Thulin to run a special 1-day iRide event at the Abbotsford Outdoor Lifestyle Show on Sunday April 12th. Hosted at the Tradex building, this event provided an opportunity for iRide to connect with parents and students.
With the support of Phoenix Velo and local volunteer Mike Rausch, Ben created a video game-style trainer game to catch student’s attention before Wes introduced a variety of indoor and outdoor exercises including planks and teeter-totters. In working with a wide range of abilities at the show, apprentice coaches quickly understood how sessions are tailored to meet student age and ability. In having parents watch the session, Ben could also provide information about iRide’s goals and upcoming projects, as he is currently on the hunt for video project candidates.
As a special joint RBC – Gran Fondo Canada event, Head Coach Wes Ochitwa and new apprentice coach Jessica Heyes ventured to Lions Bay this week to work with an exceptional crew of young riders. Aged kindergarten through grade 3, these little rippers were hard to keep up with. Wes reports, “the Grade One class at Lions Bay was phenomenal. With A+ behaviour and A++ ability and eagerness, these kids out-shined most of the classes I’ve seen so far this spring, including all grades! There were many stories of older siblings mentoring the young riders while at home and it really showed. Plus, there is no ‘flat’ in Lions Bay and at the end of the session these little rippers rode a 200 meter 10% paved grade to return from the school field. You should’ve seen these kids climb: I only needed to help two riders with relatively small pushes.” Needless to say, Wes and apprentice Jessica enjoyed an exciting week of programming at Lions Bay.
iRide also ventured to the heart of the valley to bring the iRide program to Latimer Elementary in Langley. Students enjoyed a split session between gravel and grass soccer fields, with the exciting addition of stunts and planks provided by apprentice coach Colby Johnson. Apprentice Zayne Heyes also joined Head Coach Ben Chaddock for the week of events, allowing both Colby and Zayne to watch Ben’s style before taking over small groups of 12-15 riders to coach their first sessions.
Every week iRide continues to grow as coaches, teachers and supporters continue to contact Ben. This upcoming weekend new coaches are training in Victoria with other events in the planning phase in Penticton and Terrace. If you would like to become a coach and work with youth, please contact Ben at iRide@cyclingbc.net.
If you a fan of Cycling BC’s iRide program, check us out on Twitter @Cycling_BC #iRide, Instagram @ CyclingBC_iRide or visit us at Chimp.net to support our programs in your area.
