Fifteen guides of the Sharjah Girl Guides (SGG), aged 12 to 18 years, successfully participated in the 30-km, recently in Dubai Prime Medical Junior Race 2019.

It was the culmination of two months of preparation by the guides facilitated by Sharjah Girl Guides. The SGG’s enrolment of the girls’ team in the competition was based on the premise that cycling is a fun, easy-to-do activity that anybody can do at any time, especially attractive to children and teens associated as it is with freedom.

Several studies have shown that students who cycled or walked to school performed better in tests than those who had travelled by car or public transport.

The 15 guides and senior guides had been enrolled in fitness courses for the past two months to prepare them for the race. Cycling and physical fitness experts trained the guides under a programme titled ‘Escapade Cycling Team’, which began in September. They were taught the rules of competing in cycling competitions, the techniques involved and the do’s and don’ts of cycling. They had to allocate specific hours to practice that moved their fitness levels and biking skills from the beginner to the expert level.

The girls also underwent cycling training courses specifically designed for participating in competitions. The courses covered bike-safety issues and served to increase the members’ self-confidence, physical fitness, and riding skills to enhance their capabilities in time to join the 30km-race.

Shaikha Abdelaziz Al Shamsi, Manager of SGG, remarked: “It is a great achievement for our guides to have successfully participated in the 30-km Dubai Prime Medical Junior Race 2019. We are very proud of them. It is a testimony to their determination and courage that they competed so well with just two months of training to back them up. Our focus on such physical activities for our girl guides is based on proven facts that cycling not only improves physical fitness, but also benefits learning development and mental health and boosts their confidence levels. Taking part in community activities gives them social confidence and more opportunities to make connections. The Escapade Cycling Team has been a great success and we look forward to seeing the girls participating in other such challenges.”