Coomealla High School sits in Dareton, a small town on the banks of the Murray River in far-west New South Wales more than 1200 kilometres from Sydney.
It’s a region best known for its stone fruit farms, tight-knit community and strong sporting pride.
Now, there’s a new kind of buzz around town the sound of mountain bike tyres rolling over red dirt.
For years, kids in the region have had limited access to sports like mountain biking. But that’s changing fast.
A group of forward-thinking teachers at Coomealla High recently secured a New South Wales State Government grant to build purpose built trails right on the school grounds and purchase a fleet of mountain bikes for students to ride, learn and explore.
Coomella High teachers get bike savy.
AusCycling coach and educator Justin Morris made the trip out west to train the teachers, helping them gain their Foundation Instructor – MTB accreditations.
With those skills in hand, the staff are now ready to introduce more students to the fun and freedom that comes with being on two wheels.
Already, the trails are buzzing with energy and the school community is embracing the new challenge.
The project isn’t just about fitness it’s about confidence, resilience and connecting young people to the outdoors in a part of Australia where opportunities like this don’t come around often.
Could the next generation of riders could be found right here in the Coomealla region?