Cycling Without Age Ireland Founder Honoured At Volunteers In Sport Awards
Cycling Without Age Ireland Founder Clara Clark with her husband Charles Mollan as a passenger on a Trishaw
Cycling Without Age Ireland founder Clara Clark has been honoured at the Volunteers in Sport Awards this week.
The Volunteers in Sport Awards, organised by the Federation of Irish Sport, celebrate the contributions of the band of volunteers across the country who give their time to Irish sport and physical activity every year.
Volunteers from all 32 counties were honoured at the award ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dublin on Wednesday, March 22nd, in a formal ceremony.
Clara Clark was awarded the local winner for the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Sports Partnership area in Dublin for her work with Cycling Without Age.
Founded in Copenhagen in 2012, Cycling Without Age is a global initiative that offers older people and those with mobility issues the chance to experience the fun and freedom of cycling as a sustainable means of transport and activity.
The initiative runs ‘chapters’ local trained pilots of trishaws in over 39 countries worldwide, with over 3,000 chapter locations.
Clara is the founder of the Irish chapter of the initiative, with the first trishaw arriving in Blackrock, Dublin, in March 2017, Clara has worked with care homes, local authorities, and sponsors to establish a network of trishaws around Ireland. Clara has trained hundreds of volunteer pilots how to safely use their trishaws in their chapters.
There are now 40 chapters around Ireland, boasting 62 trishaw bikes, playing an important role in their communities, local councils and sports partnerships.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Sports Partnership said:
"Clara has spent countless hours (as a volunteer) promoting and developing the organisation so that it can provide senior citizens and those with disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy and freedom of cycling. Clara has helped to train volunteers, take people out on the trishaws and advocate for all to be able to access cycling."
"Clara is a true asset to the community and has been able to expand the initiative with the help of DLR Sports Partnership, the County Council and the Bike Hub. It has been Clara’s dream from the outset to bring the same opportunities to people all across the country and thanks to her commitment and perseverance this dream is becoming a reality."
Clara Clark is honoured at the Volunteers in Sport Awards (Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile)
Cycling Without Age Ireland Founder Clara Clark said:
"Cycling Without Age is powered by volunteers. It is the generosity of our volunteer pilots that makes it possible for us to take people of all ages and abilities out for free, slow-cycling spins on specially designed trishaws. With 62 trishaws now around Ireland, Cycling Without Age is a growing sustainable and fun movement."
Cycling Ireland Get Ireland Cycling Officer, Paul Norton, said:
"Cycling Without Age is a great initiative for people, young and old, with mobility issues to experience the thrill and freedom of cycling. Clara has done some amazing work to bring this initiative from just one trishaw bike located in Blackrock, Dublin in 2017 to over 62 trishaw bikes in over 40 locations around the country. It’s no wonder Clara has been awarded this honour. Cycling Ireland and the Get Ireland Cycling initiative would love to see Clara’s vision of having a trishaw bike in every town in Ireland become a reality."
Find out more about Cycling Without Age and where your nearest Chapter is here.