What an amazing week for cycling in the Northwest Territories. Sometimes progress is measured in kilometres. Sometimes it is measured in bikes, instructors, games, laughter, and people willing to spend a weekend learning something new.
For Cycling NWT, this week had a little bit of everything. Our equipment trailer was out and being used, our mountain bikes were on the trails and in the park, and most importantly, nine people completed their HopOn Instructor Training, creating nine more people who can help introduce children and youth across the Northwest Territories to cycling.
Learning by Doing
One of the great things about HopOn is that learning to ride does not have to feel like a lesson. Throughout the training, our future instructors experienced the program the same way young riders will. They navigated cones, rode together, worked through challenges, practised partner cycling, and played games such as Rob the Nest.
And yes, the instructors became just a little competitive. That might have been one of the best parts of the weekend. Everyone was engaged, everyone was moving, and everyone was learning.
From ground level, it looked like a lot of people having fun on bikes. From the drone above, you could see something more. Bikes, cones, hoops, games and riders were spread throughout the park, each activity providing another opportunity to develop skills, confidence and comfort on a bike. It was learning through play, exactly as it should be.
More Than Nine New Instructors
Certifying nine HopOn instructors is exciting, but the real impact comes next. Every new instructor represents the possibility of another program, another community, another group of children getting on bikes, and perhaps another young person discovering that cycling is something they love. That is how we continue building cycling in the North.
We also had a wonderful reminder that the people helping build our cycling community wear many different hats. Territorial champions became HopOn instructors. Volunteers became learners. Instructors became T-shirt models. And everyone contributed something to the weekend.
The Perfect Learning Ground
We also want to extend a huge thank you to the Yellowknife Rotary Club for the beautiful park that became our classroom for the weekend. Having accessible outdoor spaces where people can ride, learn, practise and play makes opportunities like this possible. The park gave us room to experiment, make mistakes, try again, laugh, and experience what a HopOn program can look like. It was the perfect learning ground.
Thinking About What Comes Next
The weekend was not only about learning how to deliver HopOn activities. It was also an opportunity to talk about the future. A huge thank you to Peter for coming North, sharing his knowledge and, most importantly, being his amazing self.
The conversations between activities were just as valuable as the activities themselves. We had opportunities to talk about coach and instructor development, programming, equipment, communities, and what might be possible for cycling across the Northwest Territories in the years ahead. Building a sport does not happen through one event or one weekend. It happens when people develop the skills and confidence to create opportunities for others. This weekend gave us nine more people ready to do exactly that.
Thank You, Cycling Canada
Finally, a huge thank you to Cycling Canada for supporting our HopOn program and helping make opportunities like this possible in the Northwest Territories. Geography can make coach and instructor development challenging in the North.
Bringing training, equipment and opportunities closer to our communities helps us build local capacity so that knowledge stays here and can continue to be shared. Our trailer is being used. Our bikes are being ridden. Nine more instructors are trained. And there are a lot more young Northerners still to get on bikes. We cannot wait to see where they ride next.
Congratulations to our nine new HopOn instructors, and thank you to everyone who helped make an amazing week of cycling possible.