Schoolchildren show off their cycling skills in Milton Keynes bike Olympics

Children from nine primary schools showed off their cycling skills in MK’s first ever Bikeability Olympics competition.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Milton Keynes Council offers Bikeability training to young pupils in MK to encourage them to get some exercise and ride to school.

Over the past year, 4,000 children have been trained to achieve Bikeability levels 1 and 2 in 40 different local primary schools.

Last week saw a special Bikeability Olympics event to test the youngsters’ skills and celebrate their success. The challenges included an obstacle course, relay race, slow race and road ride.

Bikeability Olympics contestants at the prize-giving ceremonyBikeability Olympics contestants at the prize-giving ceremony
Bikeability Olympics contestants at the prize-giving ceremony

The event was the first of its kind and a celebration of MK’s promotion of cycling as clean, low-cost and healthy way to get to travel around the city.

The winning school was Giles Brook Primary School, whose team of five contestants achieved two Golds and one Bronze medal.

Bradwell Village took second place, with pupil Luca Galeanu achieving the highest individual medal tally of all contestants, while Oxley Park school came third.

Councillor Lauren Townsend, Cabinet member for Public Realm, attended Bikeability Olympics. She said: “This is a great way to encourage children to cycle more. We know it’s good for health and can save money as well as saving the environment. It’s impressive that we have so many young people cycling safely to school. MK Council is proud to have the ambitious goal of becoming the UK’s leading city for cycling infrastructure”.

Teacher Luke Bartishel from Orchard Academy primary school said: “Our school has purchased enough bicycles for all our pupils to do Bikeability training. The Bikeability Olympics was an amazing event, a great idea, and the kids loved it.”

MK Deputy Mayor Mick Legg will present certificates to the winners of Bikeability Olympics at the Mayor’s Cycling Awards on Thursday July 14 at 5.30pm at The Old Bus Station in CMK.

This will be followed by the celebratory City Status Cycle Ride, which all are welcome to attend.

Cyclists will meet outside The Old Bus Station and ride up Midsummer Boulevard, Saxon Gate and Silbury Boulevard to the Light Pyramid in Campbell Park for a large group photo.