Pedal Power at the Emirates

​

Pedal Power at the Emirates | The Arsenal Foundation | News Arsenal.com

The Arsenal Foundation has for many years helped to fund Pedal Power, a north London cycling club for people with disabilities that runs sessions on the podium outside Emirates Stadium and in Finsbury Park. Nina, 58, tells us how it has helped her.

“I was born in Munich but have lived in London since 1988. I used to be a yoga teacher and worked in a cinema, but then I had a serious accident and broke my back and my pelvis. I had several operations, got PTSD and lost my job. I’m still working on recovering both physically and mentally. The life I had before disappeared and I’m still figuring out who I am now and what I can do with my life.

“Jo, the founder of Pedal Power, happens to be my next-door neighbour. I loved cycling before my accident, but I couldn’t see a way to get back on my bike afterwards. I couldn’t even go near my bike at home. Jo suggested I come along to Pedal Power – they have so many specialist bikes that she was sure there would be one I could use.

“It was in August 2020, 18 months after my accident. Somebody rolled out a recumbent Tricycle and showed me how to get into it. They rode alongside me for a little while and then I went off by myself. I don’t know how to describe to you how happy I felt – to feel the wind in my face, to be in motion under my own steam again, that sense of freedom; maybe you remember the feeling as a kid when you get your first bike and you’re off and the world is your oyster.

“It was the first time I experienced joy since my accident; the first time I didn’t feel helpless. I think I only managed a couple of laps before I was knackered, but I was already looking forward to my next time.

Continue reading...