General News
23 November, 2022
Students to tackle 522 kilometre ride
STUDENTS and staff from Mortlake College will join thousands of riders pedalling a gruelling 522 kilometres as part of the 2022 Great Victorian Bike Ride.
STUDENTS and staff from Mortlake College will join thousands of riders pedalling a gruelling 522 kilometres as part of the 2022 Great Victorian Bike Ride.
Mortlake College Great Victorian Bike Ride co-ordinator Nathan Jones said a dozen students and two staff members would participate in the ride.
Representatives of the school have taken part in the ride on two prior occasions, and are excited to be back behind the handlebars after the event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021.
“We have students from year 9 through to year 12 who have been training to take part in this year’s event,” Mr Jones said.
“We first took part in 2016 when the event came through Mortlake and we took part again in 2018, alternating every two years with a snow camp.
“So we’re keen to be taking part again because the students really enjoy such a great challenge which puts them out of their comfort zone.
“Hopefully the weather will be kind to us.”
Mr Jones said the concept to take part in the epic ride had come about due to a diverse range of benefits.
After joining the school in 2009, he helped develop a bike education elective as part of the curriculum which focused on developing safety, fitness and teamwork.
“To put all we have learnt in to practice and a camp to finish off, which is sort of a final assessment,” Mr Jones said.
“In 2016 we first took part in the Great Victorian Bike Ride as part of the camp and it was one of the top two camps I’d been on.
“Throughout term two and three we hold training rides once a week and learn about traffic management, and how to ride and maintain a bike.
“So there is a fitness element, a growth mindset, resilience building when training in less than ideal weather and team building elements.”
The thousands of riders taking part in the Great Victorian Bike Ride will make their way through the region this weekend.
Participants and supporters will stop overnight at the Noorat Recreation Reserve on Sunday, November 27 and Timboon Recreation Reserve on Monday, November 28.
