We meet some of the Yorkshire women have been named in Cycling UK’s top 100 women in the sport for 2019

Now, however, it is the turn of the women, those who encourage others to take up the sport, who are being honoured.

Cycling UK has revealed its 100 top women in cycling 2019 and there are nine Yorkshire women among them.

Trish Cunnison. Trish set up Wheels 4 Fun because she identified a lack of opportunities for adults with disability to cycle in Leeds and wanted them to be able to experience the same enjoyment and rewards that she gets from cycling. Trish is a physiotherapist whose main area of expertise is working with people with neurological conditions and she is also a national standards cycle instructor. She says: “From my point of view, as a physiotherapist, the most rewarding thing is to see people developing their skills and abilities and of course we all enjoy the social side with everyone mixing in.”

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Ella Curtis. Ella, who is 16 and has Down’s Syndrome, was recognised for her incredible achievements at the Special Olympics World Games with Great Britain’s cycling team. Her family were really into cycling and when she was younger, she would ride along next to them on a scooter because she didn’t want to miss out, but she lacked the confidence to ride with them. Then a few years ago, she joined the Bradford Disability Cycling Club. Her cycling journey wasn’t without difficulty. The first time she tried to cycle on her own she fell off but she didn’t let it stop her. She persevered, kept trying and kept getting better.

Ella was nominated by her father Tim, who said: “Ella is the first Yorkshire cyclist ever to complete in the Special Olympics world games in its 50-year history. She brought home a bronze medal on her trike for 500m Modified Cycle time trial.”

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Betty-Ann Hutchin. Betty-Ann retired in 2011 and decided she should learn to cycle and started with lessons in the local park. After a while she progressed to doing road confidence lessons, began riding further and joined in with Breeze rides. From there, she went on to complete the British Cycling Ride Leader’s course and started taking other cyclists out on rides.

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Betty-Ann then realised there was a need for sociable rides to help both men and women gain confidence. So she set up a social ride group called Wheel Do It! and started putting on rides into the countryside around Sheffield. Since then, Betty-Ann has trained as a British Cycling Level 1 coach and has now started working with young children to develop their skills and their enjoyment of cycling.

“I love the fact that I’m fitter now at 72 years of age than I have ever been in my life,” she says.

Mandy Parker. Mandy began coaching after the chief coach, suggested that as she was good with kids, she would make a great teacher so, as a serial volunteer, Mandy decided to give it a go. During her volunteer journey, Mandy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and she is now secondary progressive but is still volunteering and helping to train new up and coming cyclists. Mandy is now involved in coaching older riders at regional and national level. She is also the membership and development secretary of East Bradford Cycling Club, organiser of the West Riding Track League, race organiser, an active committee member of the Yorkshire Cyclo-Cross Association, White Rose Youth league, Yorkshire Board member, committee member of Shibden CC and the secretary of the British Schools Cycling Association.

“The people you meet in cycling are amazing, from the delight on the face of a child or adult who learns to ride for the first time, to the pride of the young riders I have coached to national level.”

Jenn Hill. Jenn, 38, died in 2015 after receiving the devastating news that she had stage four lung cancer.

But despite her agonising diagnosis, Jenn, who was deputy editor of Todmorden-based Singletrack magazine, continued to work and live life to the full while battling the disease. While she was ill, Jenn’s colleagues vowed to raise as much money as they could for two cancer charities of Jenn’s choosing – Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Janet Paske. She founded Wheels for Wellbeing in London and when she moved to Sheffield in 2010, Janet become involved with Sheffield Cycling 4 All, another inclusive cycling project.

Rachael Maskell. The York Central MP is a keen cyclist and as Shadow Transport Minister she campaigns for better infrastructure and improving opportunities for people to be able to use their bike as transport. She has also highlighted issues around air pollution and how the present lack of cycling infrastructure means that children, the elderly and many women are excluded from cycling short distances to school, the shops and work.

Dame Sarah Storey DBE. She was nominated for achieving the title of most successful female British Paralympian of all-time but also for championing cycling and walking as the Active Travel Commissioner for Sheffield City Region.

Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK Head of Campaigns, said: “Sheffield City Region are to be applauded for their selection of Dame Sarah Storey as their new Cycling and Walking Commissioner. She’s such a fantastic inspiration for so many people, and Cycling UK hopes her amazing achievements continue as she makes the Sheffield region a cycling and walking success.”

Charity throws down gauntlet

It is estimated that only a million women in the UK cycle regularly – just three per cent of the population, with many more bike journeys made by men than women.

The Women’s Festival of Cycling aims to address that imbalance by inspiring more women to get in the saddle.

A poll carried out by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK found 
that 36 per cent of women said they would be inspired to cycle more with the encouragement of friends and family.

So now the charity is now challenging every female cyclist in the UK to enlist at least one more woman to start cycling.

Helen Cook, Head of Engagement, said: “Every woman on our list is an incredible ambassador for women’s cycling, but sadly women remain underrepresented when it comes to everyday cycling.

“The gauntlet we’re throwing down is for every woman who already cycles regularly to find just one more woman they can help and inspire to get on their bike.”