My professional experience and training...
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I am certified by the American Bicycling Education Association as a Cycling Savvy Instructor (CSI) and by the League of American Bicyclists as a League Cycling Instructor (LCI). I am the only bicycling educator in Washington State, who is certified by both organizations, and I actively maintain my certification by staying current with the best practices in bicycling education. As a CSI and LCI, I have comprehensive training to teach bicycling traffic safety. I have been teaching bicycling traffic safety since 2012, when I was hired by Olympic College Bremerton as a bicycling instructor. BicycleTeacher is a direct outgrowth of my teaching at Olympic College, as I began to see that there were many people who could benefit from my services as a Bicycle Teacher.
I also have a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the University of Puget Sound, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University. I have used both of these educational experiences, as a professional artist with a studio practice, and as an art teacher. I am a Certificated Teacher in Washington State, and continually improve my teaching practice through professional development and reading about educational best practices. I continue to pursue my career as a sculptor. You can see and purchase my artwork at my artist website here. Here's my story...Since I was a kid, I have loved riding a bike. In fact, growing up, my brother and I and all the neighborhood kids lived on our bikes. We rode on dirt roads nearby, on the paved street in front of our house. We made jumps out of scrap lumber, rode up and over piles of dirt, and even made a "BMX" course around the house, more or less making a permanent rut in the lawn (sorry Dad). We had skidding contests in the driveway and set up impossible "race courses" that practically required wiping out (sorry Mom). We rode all year long, including the winter, when we'd ride head-first into deep snow banks to fly over our handlebars, burying ourselves upside-down in the snow (not exactly the smartest thing to do, but hey, I was a kid too, once). On nice evenings, my parents would take my brother and me on the neighborhood streets for a little toodle around. I still remember the thrill the first time I went down a little hill so fast that my feet couldn't pedal fast enough. The sense of flying as I coasted down that hill is something I still get every time I ride, even today.
When I was about 12, I climbed on my Dad's beastly yellow AMC 10-speed to embark on what I then called my "Ultimate Bike Ride." It followed the route of my school bus. I packed enough food and water for a couple days, first aid kit, extra clothes, and I'm sure a lot of other stuff and headed out early one morning. I later learned that my Mom was very reluctant to let me go, but that my Dad convinced her to. I pushed off as the sun rose, ready for the adventure of a lifetime, rode the route, and was back home by 7am, food, water, and first-aid kit untouched. Thus began my journey. I got into bike racing as a teenager, and did pretty well at it, even winning a couple races. I wanted to be a professional bike racer, but quickly found out that in order to do that, I'd have to devote my entire life to training. That didn't sound like much fun. So I gave up racing, and just went back to my first love, riding for fun. Fast forward many years, when a new form of "bike love" found me: teaching other people how to ride safely and effectively in traffic. Since 2012, I have been teaching people of all ages and abilities how to use their bikes...for recreational riding, commuting, racing...whatever. I love working with people to help them overcome whatever barriers they have to fully enjoying their bikes. My teaching style is affirming, encouraging, and fully participatory. Working together, either one-on-one or in a small group, you can gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to ride anywhere you want, no matter the conditions. |
Here's me sporting my Bell bike helmet. A helmet is your last line of defense, not your first. I can teach you how to ride so you're more likely to never crash in the first place.
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