Cloudy skies could not dim the sunny outlook as over 250 students, 50-plus future student-athlete cyclists, and cycling race enthusiasts came together for USA Cycling’s first annual Annual Bike Fest Field Day, which was held and coordinated by PS 18 in the South Bronx.
“A whole host of organizations have come together as a result of Principal Anjelica Jordan’s vision at PS 18 to provide access to cycling to her students and to provide the safe spaces to ride,” said Maurelhena Walles, founder and CEO of Equity Design, a social enterprise that worked with the New York State Department of Health Creating Healthy Schools and Communities Initiative. “We work with schools in and around the Bronx, Brownsville, and East Harlem, communities that have the lowest physical activity engagement. We work with principals around increasing their capacity. It’s a five-year initiative on how to sustain it.”
For the May 15 Bike Fest Field Day, partnerships with USA Cycling as well as organizations like Free Bikes for Kids, Bronx Health REACH, Street Lab, Department of Transportation, and Up2Us, PS 18 shut down the streets surrounding the school to give students access to cycling. Part of it involved teaching kids how to ride safely, including wearing a helmet.
“For us, representation matters, so being able to interact with BIPOC cyclists who are also racers is great for kids,” said Walles. “It’s also an opportunity for them to interact with Bike NYC that provides bike education. Some of the stations are more so around inclusive play and activities for the students.”
Equity Design is a non-profit founded in 2019 to impact health and wellness in underserved communities. After positions with PowerPlay NYC, Fit 4 Life NYC, and Kids in the Game, Walles examined where she saw communities not fully engaging in physical activities that would lead to increased thriving. Frustrated to see public schools scaling back physical education, she was determined to help schools make physical activity part of school culture.
Health and fitness are important to Walles, who competes as a master athlete in track. “I am thankful to be competitive,” she said. “I love the challenge of being able to compete at a high level and manage Equity Design. I feel I thrive being able to do both simultaneously.”
Making bicycle riding part of every child’s childhood is important to Walles. Overcoming the fear of riding a bicycle and building community through cycling is also important.