XSPEED COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Indigenous Talent Identification and Development
XSpeed Community Initiatives offers iTid (Indigenous Talent Identification and Development) is a free community participation programme designed to offer indigenous youth, boys and girls, aged 10-15 years exposure to the sport of cycling as an alternative to the traditional sporting codes of football and basketball.
Many kids cannot engage with traditional ball sports and the sport of cycling is a perfect alternative, but rarely, if ever, offered. Consequently, the level of participation is almost non-existent not withstanding the many opportunities available from State, National, World and Olympic level. The potential to discover the first indigenous athlete to ever represent Australia may well begin here within this programme.
This initiative has grown from the high profile participation of African athletes now competing on the world stage (tour de France) which is broadcast globally with a large Australian audience and locally through participation by three indigenous youths who took part in our introduction to track cycling school holiday programmes and have demonstrated a desire and commitment to continue on in the sport.
Community integration will also be a demonstrable part of this initiative. Cycling coaches, clubs, athletes and the WA Institute of Sport have been consulted in relation to iTid, they will have the opportunity to engage and mentor indigenous youths and will benefit from gaining a better understanding of their culture.
Help us find the first indigenous youth to pull on the green and gold jersey for Australia in the sport of cycling!
“It’s very empowering for a young girl to be fit and strong”
Anna Meares Olympic, World, Commonwealth and National Champion
This quote resonated with me during a talk given by Anna Meares when she was in Perth and kindly came to speak to a group of young female cyclists.
She said she felt very aware as a developing young woman that she was wearing skin tight lycra and she was putting herself out there for all the world to see.
This was the spark that ignited the flame of Body Bike Fit.
Empowerment, Fitness, Strength, Self Confidence, Body Image, Health, Participation, Opportunity, Friends, Commitment, Knowledge, Fun, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Was there something we could do to facilitate this in even a small way?
There comes a point in many young girls lives where sport can lose its relevance. It’s no longer cool, a peer group diminishes, study becomes harder and more time consuming, the list is long.
From wearing piggy tails and climbing trees we suddenly become young women but often something is lost in the transition.
Does a healthy fit young girl become a healthy fit woman?
Can sport fill that gap? Well, can our sport fill that gap?
We think so.
Welcome to Body Bike Fit.
Girls aged between 12 and 16 years challenge themselves, over come their fears, push their limits, make friends, have fun and light up the Perth Velodrome.
