Dougie

Dougie is 8 years old and lives with his mum and dad in Cardiff and travels to Danescourt Primary School on his bike every day.

This began when Dougie started attending Danescourt Primary School, and it was a long drive to get to school. His mum, Christine, worked out that they could go a different off road route walking to school which could be quicker. They began the regular route walking, and then started cycling as Dougie got older, and Christine could then head on to work after dropping him at school. Christine told us that

“Cars have limited reliability, when driving I would regularly find I was struck in traffic and ringing people last minute to ask if they could pick up Dougie from after school club. Cycling is far more reliable, and more precise with times. We know the minute we have to leave home to be at school on time, but can be more leisurely on our way home at the end of the day. It is now part of our daily fitness regime, for the whole family”

For Dougie, his love of cycling is obvious:

“We used to walk, but now we cycle a safer way through Hailey Park. Cars are very annoying. It would be safer if cars weren’t allowed into cities, they should all park on the outside!”

Through his daily journey, Dougie has explored the natural world around him.

“Its so joyful because you see lots of animals and stuff like bats. One day, we saved a bird. It fell out of its nest, it hurt its wing, so we took it home and made a little box for it in my wendy house outside. The next day it had flown away!”

The social side of cycling clearly is a benefit for the family as well, as Im sure many of us can sympathise with. Christine mentioned “Dougie spends too much time on minecraft at home, but when we are cycling, our conversation is our time to catch up, chat about science, and is often our favourite part of the day, particularly on the way home when its less rushed”.

Dougies dad, Duncan, has hopes that the daily cycle for Dougie will be “a motion which continues into his adult life”.