Social Enterprise Stories
Ageless Bicyclist
My late mother (who passed away at age 95 in November 2014) was an educator and loved children. She often said "The joy of living is in giving –especially the Gift of Love" and she always put others first. This inspiration was interwoven in my growing years and now I hope to live her legacy with the hope that it will pass on to the younger generation. In the words of C S Lewis “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” I remember seeing a group of young people with special needs cycling and the love and support their parents gave them, and this inspired me. Although I am from the Pioneer Generation, I decided to take an ‘insane’ leap of faith to start this business and turn my inspiration into reality.
I believe we are the first social enterprise to focus on bringing inclusive cycling to persons with special needs to enable them to bond with peers, family members and friends through the transformative experience of bicycling.
There have been many, from meeting teachers from Grace Orchard School, who willingly agreed to partner us for a pilot project, to NIE Lecturers in Special Needs giving their time to meet and offer us advice, to meeting with Sport Doctors from Changi Sports Medicine Centre SIngapore, to being introduced to special needs institutions and associations in Sarawak through the Sarawak General Hospital. The reaction from various people upon hearing what we do is usually the most encouraging and heart-warming and it motivates me to never give up on Ageless Bicyclists' goals.
We are just a start-up with a challenging but relatively good concept. Although I am from the Pioneer Generation and a relatively new kid on the social enterprise block without much knowledge and experience in the area of special needs, I am ready to face the challenges. It was difficult to convince volunteers to share my aspiration without proven projects or the ability to seek grants and funding easily. We hope that with perseverance, things will change for the better from now.
We hope that the Pedal Enable program will give persons with different abilities more avenues for active living, physical activities and community integration. It can be a strong positive influence in our schools, and in the region.We look forward to working with more members of the community in advocating for an inclusive society. We will also continue to research more practical ideas to enhance the lives of persons with different abilities. The long term aim is also to create an Adaptive Cycling Park exclusively for the use of people with physical disabilities to experience the joy and freedom of cycling while providing them with adaptive bicycles and mobility units and a safe way to exercise, have fun and bond with friends, peers and family members.