As easy as riding a bike...

Vickie Kourtelis
Rye YMCA Aquatics Director

“It’s as easy as riding a bike." Funny! For so many years I thought, “if that's the case, I'm doomed!”

After a few failed attempts at mastering a two wheel bike on my own, I had sworn off the activity. At 7 years old, I was left with a broken arm after being jolted off my bike by my brother, who had "accidentally" knocked into my back tire. Soon after, I attempted to ride again and crashed into a tree, busting my lip and chin open and cracking my two front teeth. I have the scars to prove it! I would never get on that thing again! Clearly it just wasn't my sport! So you can see why I thought getting on a bike again would be the scariest thing.

Then, almost a year ago, I was visiting family in Virginia and they encouraged me to give cycling another try.  I went from a small bike that belonged to my 9 year old cousin, to a bigger bike within hours. My entire family questioned my abilities, but with my father holding the back of the bike and the handle bars I slowly mastered the peddling. You can imagine how ridiculous that must have looked, a 24-year old woman getting assistance from her dad on a bicycle. I was nervous, but finally he let go and I realized it wasn't so bad...until I had to stop. Nervously I'd throw my feet down before realizing all I had to do was slowly brake using the brakes on the handle bars. That weekend, after a few hours of practice, I rode a few miles up the road with my 13 year-old cousin. A non biker to a few miles— outrageous!

Returning home to New York, my first stop was at my local bike store. New bike, check...helmet, check…fanny pack to hold my belongings, check! All set for my first NY bike ride. On my first ride I got a flat...called Triple A (a.k.a my dad) and had the tire repaired. On my second ride, not far from my house, I was faced with what I call “huge” hill with a 4 -way stop sign at the bottom. Unable to stop, and nervous with a consuming fear of crashing into a moving vehicle, I threw myself off the bike midway down the hill into a tree. I stood up, looked around, laughed, collected my water bottle and bike from the middle of the street and walked down the hill. I went to the park to clean off my bloody knees and elbow, climbed back on the bike and rode home.

I'm petrified every time I get on that bike, but I will get back on every time. It's a strange thing learning something as an adult. Fear takes over but you have to just let go and go for it! So it's pretty funny that I just learned, right? Well, here's a challenge...find that thing you’ve always wanted to do, make yourself a little uncomfortable, let go and go for it!