An inspiring cycling club organiser from Scarborough has been named in Cycling UK’s annual 100 Women in Cycling list.
Elaine Ward was included for her work encouraging women to cycle.
She joins TV and film actress Maxine Peake, presenter Melanie Abbott and gold medal winners Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker in the cycling charity’s list recognising significant achievements in promoting women’s cycling.
The women have all been recognised in celebration of the work they have done to inspire other women to cycle, as part of Cycling UK’s Women’s Festival of Cycling which runs between 17 July and 1 August.
The list also includes less well-known names of women who have been working tirelessly at grassroots level during particularly difficult times to encourage and support more women to ride: people such as Elaine.
Elaine comes from a cycling family, she was brought up on a diet of race talk and results. This led her to race on the track and road at a national and international level. Alongside her own racing, Elaine is also part of the organising committee of the Scarborough Cycling Festival and Scarborough Paragon Cycling Club, has participated in community events for the Tour of Yorkshire in Scarborough and acts as a mentor for junior and U23 riders.
To launch its annual Women’s Festival of Cycling, Cycling UK has also released figures showing that more women have taken up cycling during the coronavirus pandemic. A survey found that 31% of women surveyed switched from a car to a cycle for everyday journeys, and those who cycled regularly reported improvements to their wellbeing.
Although the number of women cycling increased during lockdown, men are still cycling nearly twice as much as women.
Cycling UK is encouraging women to stick to the pedals and continue to replace their car journeys with cycling, and is highlighting women who are inspiring, teaching and encouraging others to do so.
Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK chief executive, said:
“Congratulations to Elaine for making it into our 100 Women in Cycling in 2021. It’s an incredible achievement and testimony to the tireless work she’s done to raise the profile of women’s cycling.
“Every woman on our list is a powerful ambassador for women’s cycling, and many have done outstanding work supporting women to cycle during lockdown. But sadly, women remain underrepresented when it comes to everyday cycling.
“During this year’s festival we’re asking every woman who already cycles to find just one more woman they can help and inspire to get on their bike.”
The Women’s Festival of Cycling features a range of virtual events, local group rides and a social media challenge asking women to share pictures of their ‘bicycle face’.
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