My favorite childhood activity was bike riding- yours too? So when I met the inspiring and refreshing Angela Azzolino recently at the Stop Street Harassment Rally in New York, her infectious energy, beautiful freckles and passion for women’s cycling had me SOLD. Stay tuned to see what this executive director of Get Women Cycling is doing to get women back on bikes!
Angela, who started the Get Women Cycling Program, to get women back on bikes, attributes her love for cycling to her parents who taught her to ride at a young age.
“When I was 16 years old my uncle gave me his Schwinn Varsity 10 speed, my first road bike that I used to commute to high school. On weekends, I’d ride over the Brooklyn Bridge and visit my grandmother who lived in the Lower East Side. I discovered something new every time I rode. I smiled more and was never bored. My passion for cycling grew from those impressionable teenage years when many girls stop riding bikes. After high school, I commuted by bike to college and to every job I've held since graduating."
As a child, I spent 99% of my time outside on my bike. There was something empowering about being able to get myself from point A to point B without anyone's help or public transit. Cycling also gave me a sense of emotional and mental freedom, the wind whipping through my hair (under my helmet!) and the sun beating down on my back- It felt exhilarating. Let’s be real, when I kicked off those training wheels, I thought I RAAAAN the neighborhood!
The community at Get Women Cycling is supportive, open and nonjudgmental. If you don't live in New York City but you're interested in cycling in a group, check for local cycling organizations in your area. It's worth it!
Do you already bike? Will you give cycling a try?
Jashima Wadehra is a writer, entrepreneur, artist and lover of all people based in NYC. She can be found dancing and traveling her way through life.