Bike to School Champion - Tu Loan Trieu

Tu Loan Trieu leads an active lifestyle and tries to cycle a couple of days a week (it is an hour commute one way!). Last year she was the athletic coordinator at Hillcrest Middle School and organised Bike to School Week for the second time. She believes that cycling education leads to lifelong skills and instils good practices in youth. Last year Hillcrest Middle School won a brand new bike for having the highest ridership in the Middle School category for Bike to School Week. Tu Loan “framed” Bike to School Week last year as training for the school’s Kettle Valley cycling trip that took place at the end of the same week. The trip, combined with Bike to School Week, meant that “bike culture at the school really blossomed last year”.

Hillcrest Middle School has completed HASTe’s School Travel Planning program, and in the spring last year HUB and Cycling BC gave bike education workshops at the school. Newsletters were sent out before Bike to School Week and daily announcements were made to let students and teachers know how many people cycled each day. On Wednesday of Bike to School Week, Tu Loan took a group of students to the nearby Bike to Work Week celebration station, which was a highlight for all because there were snacks and prizes available in addition to the prizes handed out at school.

In order to make Bike to School Week a success, Tu Loan says that coordinators must be passionate and enthusiastic about cycling. She believes that it is important to really believe in cycling and actually practice it in order to get uptake from the kids. Tu Loan says that having prizes available for students is a great way to increase participation.