Olympic champion Ed Clancy joined pupils at Tinsley Meadows Primary School for a special cycling workshop after the school won a top prize in the Mayor’s Walk and Wheel Challenge 2025.
Clancy, South Yorkshire’s Active Lives Commissioner, is one of Britain’s successful track cyclists, winning three Olympic gold medals and six world titles before retiring from competitions in 2021.
Ed Clancy said: “It was brilliant to see how much energy and enthusiasm the kids at Tinsley Meadows brought to the session.
“I believe every child should have the freedom to choose whether to walk, scoot, or bike to school – it’s a great way to stay active, build confidence and healthy habits for life.”
The school was chosen from more than 140 schools across South Yorkshire that took part in Mayor Oliver Coppard’s Walk and Wheel Challenge 2025, an initiative encouraging children to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle to school to promote healthy and sustainable lifestyles.
As part of the challenge, schools were entered into a prize draw to win equipment such as scooters, balance bikes and Bikeability workshops led by Ed Clancy.
The Bikeability session included practical cycling lessons tailored to the pupils’ skill levels, with a focus on road safety, signalling and confidence-building.
Mayor Oliver Coppard said the challenge was about helping young people feel empowered to travel actively and safely.
He said: “It’s not just about getting from A to B, it’s about making active travel the easy, obvious choice for families across South Yorkshire.”
According to Emily Cherry, Chief Executive of the Bikeabaility Trust, the event came during the most successful Cycle to School Week yet, with more than 405,000 pledges nationwide.
She said: “This is our most successful Cycle to School Week yet, proving the perfect opportunity for children to discover the benefits of cycling to school with their friends, helping them towards happier and healthier lifestyles.”
The Walk and Wheel Challenge is part of the Mayor’s wider ambition to make South Yorkshire the best place in the UK for children to walk, wheel and cycle, with schools playing a major role in shaping the region’s future travel culture.