Modern Cyclist Magazine Issue 1, September 2014 | Page 10

MC 2nd wheel

Cycling becomes school sport
By Raymond Travers

“We need to address the fitness, health and
well-being of the children in my school.”
So says Hennie Strydom, the principal of
TrinityHouse Preparatory School in Little Falls.
“Because if you get your blood system
flowing, get your heart pumping, get more
oxygen to the brain, you will do better in the
class room,” he said.
Knowing that there are few sports that can
achieve this quite like cycling can, Hennie
decided to include South Africa’s fastest
growing sport into the list of the school’s extra
mural activities.
So, like many of TrinityHouse’s other extra
mural activities which include piano lessons
and equestrian events, he has approached
Strategic Cycling as a specialist organisation
to provide lessons, bikes and expertise.
Developed by Tony Harding, the former
manager of some of the biggest professional
cycling teams and individuals in both South
Africa and abroad, and Neil MacDonald, a
retired professional road and mountain bike
cyclist who achieved national colours 14
times, Strategic Cycling’s Kids on Bikes Youth
Cycling Program is run over 10 weeks with a
lesson per week.

“When I was still at school,” added Neil,
“I taught myself and got my Southern
Transvaal colours for cycling, but I received
no recognition at all. The teachers would
Since 2009, the Spur School Mountain Bike
Series has grown from around 900 to around only comment on my shaved legs and I was
pushed into mainstream sports like cricket
and rugby.”
a school sport, but I think this will change,”
explains Neil.

d system
“If you get your bloo
art
flowing, get your he
oxygen to
pumping, get more
better in
the brain, you will do
the class room.”
10 000 competitors, so there is definitely
huge potential for the further development
of mountain biking as a school sport.
The men responsible
for bringing cycling to
TrinityHouse Preparatory
School Little Falls.
School Principal Hennie
Strydom (left) with retired
professional cyclist Neil
MacDonald.

“This is really exciting. As far as I know, no
other school in South Africa offers cycling as

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ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2014 / www.moderncyclist.co.za

Neil believes that if he had been taught
the basic skills of cycling earlier in his life, he
might have achieved even more than he has
during his 15 year professional cycling career.
“Cycling will always be my passion, and
that’s why I want to give something back to
the kids,” he explained.
TrinityHouse’s cycling program started on
28 August with a small group of about 20