Somer Valley Wheels people get an award

Pictured at the Community Sports Award Evening at the Guildhall, Bath on Monday 9th March 2009. Photo by Eugene Kertzman.

Katie Shoosmith and Debbie Yarlett with Ben Rushgrove, a paralympic sprinter based at the University of Bath, who won a silver medal in the 100 metres at the Beijing Paralympic Games, Bath Rugby players Matt Banaham and Jonny Fa'amatuainu and David Belotti, Chairman of Bath & North East Somerset Council

From the Somer Valley Wheels website:

Two regulars of Somer Valley Wheels were nominated for the Bath and North-East Somerset Chair's Community Sport Awards 2009. One nominee was a regular volunteer and one a regular rider.

Debbie Yarlett was nominated for the "Over 19 Disabled Sports Award". Debbie came to Somer Valley Wheels in September 2007 not being able to cycle at all. She learned to cycle with National Standards Instructor Nigel Shoosmith and very soon became part of the regular Tuesday afternoon group. She has since come on most weeks and completed 30 rides with the scheme an approximate total of 240 miles. She is always smiling and keen to get on with the ride and brings a smile to other riders face in the way she can charge ahead to the next hill.

Katie Shoosmith was nominated and awarded the "Under 18 Sports Volunteer Award". Katie has been a regular volunteer assistant ride leader with the Somer Valley Wheels cycling scheme for over 18 months. Katie has assisted on over 75 of the group cycle rides since July ’07. She has been a keen cyclist from an early age and started her cycling with the local Somer Valley Cycling Club junior section.

She regularly turns out in all weather conditions each Saturday without complaint, expressing her belief that cycling should not be confined to fair weather and is a practical form of transport in all but the most extreme conditions.

Katie’s father Nigel works on the scheme as a ride leader/instructor and Katie acts as an assistant to him on the Saturday rides and on organised Somer Valley Wheels rides during the school holidays. Katie's commitment and resourcefulness has been most valuable to him and he feels that without her constant support he would be hard pressed to run the Saturday SVW sessions in a safe and efficient manner, particularly in recent times when riders attendance has been in double figures.

Katie confidently tackles minor maintenance tasks and adjustments on the bikes during the pre-ride preparation time, and fixes punctures en route without any intervention or help from the other ride leaders. Other volunteer tasks that she has assisted with include assisting with leaflet distribution to local information points and businesses, running cycling activities at the local Clandown Fun Day and basic cycle maintenance.

That's my girl!

And the next morning Katie was interviewed on live radio for BBC Radio Somerset about the award and her work with SVW.

And then there's the feature in the Bath Chronicle.

She's hoping that that's her 15 minutes of fame for now.