This is Rina...
Rina works for Cycles Galleria, a company that supplies a variety of bikes for hire for recreational use and city commuting. On weekends, Rina leads a community fitness group along Yarra River bike paths. The participants are predominantly middle aged with a few young and older aged cyclists, looking for a sight-seeing and fitness activity rolled into one. Cycles Galleria took advantage of the local government’s fitness grants program to secure funding for these groups. Rina is one of four fitness instructors employed to facilitate this group activity.
How do you prepare participants for the ride ahead?
At the time of booking, each participant is provided with information, including; a detailed outline of the activity they’ve just booked, map of the route and rest stops, equipment that will be provided, footwear and dress requirements etc. They must also complete a questionnaire on their health, fitness, needs etc.
On the day [of the activity], there is a very detailed pre-session talk. I make a personal introduction, complete a verbal pre-screen of each person’s ability to take part in the day. We go over all the emergency procedures and we have a Q&A session.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced regarding participant’s needs?
Personally, I find that there are some cultural and age groups, that didn't expect their instructor to be female. It doesn't stop them from participating but I feel I have to try a little harder to convince them to follow my lead. But generally everyone is respectful and by the end of the ride, we are all in awe of what we'd just accomplished.
I try to organise each group by fitness level and advise on bike choice and technique, in such a way that everyone has a smooth ride with minimal disruptions. There are times when this is not possible and the group will have riders of varied fitness levels. There have been a couple of occasions where a participant had difficulty keeping the pace and I've organised for them to return to base to rest while the others continued. Fortunately, I have not had any medical emergencies, but I am well prepared for that.
How do you keep the group interested?
There are a variety of destinations and rest stops chosen and I make sure I have brushed up on my knowledge of these places beforehand, so I have something to tell the group.
I tailor the session to suit the level of fitness or experience in the group. Not too easy and not so hard that no one is having a good time. I also throw in little challenges like ‘let’s speed up for the next …km and stop for an ice cream’. I am very vocal with my encouragement to give everyone a boost specially coming towards the end of the session.
We offer targeted sessions for groups based on age, gender, ability and special interests. For instance, our ‘Spinerettes’ is a popular choice for women and find these groups very uplifting. Another popular group is the ‘Easy Riders’. Participants ride at an easy pace over a slightly longer distance.
What do you enjoy about what you do?
Most definitely, the best part is meeting different people. Also getting to share my passion with likeminded people. And I get thanked so many times because people have fun and get so much out of getting outdoors. I can feel good knowing we are making a positive impact on our community physically and mentally.