Newsroom

VicHealth Awards winner 2017 Mind. Body. Pedal
MIND. BODY. PEDAL receives VicHealth award

Bicycle Network's program to get teenage girls active, MIND. BODY. PEDAL took home the award for 'Encouraging physical activity' at the VicHealth Awards on Tuesday night. 

Making 30 years of VicHealth, the awards recognise health promotion projects that improve the wellbeing of Victorians across the state. There were 14 winning projects across a number of categories. 

See the full list of winners and finalists here.

It is the second time that Mind.Body.Pedal was nominated for the award, but the first time the program took out top honours. Bicycle Network was proud and humbled to be selected from a group of inspiring finalists. 

MIND. BODY. PEDAL is an initiative of Bicycle Network's successful Ride2School program. It is run in partnership with The Body Shop and Headspace. 

The aim of the program is to address the barriers that hold teenage girls back from physical activity.

Led by a team of experts, MIND. BODY. PEDAL sets out to support and celebrate the differences that make high-school aged girls unique, while addressing issues of self-esteem and confidence that hold many back from riding a bike.

Studies show that teenage girls are active for less than 30 minutes a day—less than half of the daily exercise recommended for teenagers. 

Schools who have participated in Mind.Body.Pedal reported twice as many girls riding to school, and that walking to school rates had also increased, from 28 per cent to 38 per cent.

The next MIND. BODY. PEDAL event will be held at Horsham Secondary College on Thursday 7 December. 

The demand for the program is incredibly high and Bicycle Network is working with councils and schools across country to deliver the program in both metro and regional communities. 

If you're interested in the program, please contact the team at ride2school@bicyclenetwork.com.au.