The project striking pedal gold in Western Australia's outback

For nearly four years, Laverton in Western Australia’s Goldfields-Esperance region has been home to the Laverton Cycling Project, a project promoting and providing health, wellbeing and mentoring for youth and adults in the greater Laverton area.

The project was brought to life by Cycling Development Foundation (CDF) and their Veris Racing National Road Series (NRS) team managing director, Brad Hall in July 2018 alongside Laverton School and Laverton Leonora Cross Cultural Association as a program mentoring youths through the rebuilding of second-hand bicycles and the benefits of exercise through cycling.

Along with support from Veris as part of their Reconciliation Action Plan, the project exists to encourage disadvantaged or at-risk youths to cycle as a form of sport, exercise, autonomy and transport.

“The beautiful thing about cycling is that while it certainly can be sporting or exercise specific it’s also actually a means of transportation, autonomy and freedom. It's so much more than just a sporting program or even an exercise program because it provides a degree of freedom and autonomy to people who do cycle,” Hall explained.

“The opportunities for this program far exceed just sport and exercise alone, we’re starting to tap into those avenues which transcend sport for people who may feel quite isolated or trapped as far as not being able to get out of situations or circumstances they’re in.

“It’s a vehicle for human development … and it’s really taking cycling to the communities.”

For Hall, the program has reached the point where he is looking at how they might be able to roll it out to other centres with appropriate funding and resources, as well as the prospect of playing a part in the employment of a youth services officer to run the program year-round.

The program is currently run on most school holidays by Hall and riders of Veris Racing in a five-to-seven-day block.

“That (being on the ground) is really important as far as stakeholder engagement and showing up and providing opportunity, and then just seeing what the actual community needs,” he said.

“So often the community needs far exceed funding for a cycling program, they actually require youth services and community support initiatives.

“So, whilst cycling is a modality, we work collaboratively with different stakeholder groups to ensure the community needs are being met as best they can through the systems and services we offer.

“It is a big collaborative process and focus, and it needs to be because the communities up there have specific needs. So, we take on board their feedback and then tailor the programs to suit.

“What that looks like in a practical sense is that funding for someone to run these programs year-round so that there is dedicated cycling programs on the ground in remote communities, similar to what there has been through the Shooting Stars program, which is netball, and Auskick (an AFL program).

“So, it’s really looking at spearheading a cycling project equivalent.”

The Laverton Cycling Project also taps into the greater ethos of the Perth-based CDF, a not-for-profit incorporated association created for promoting, supporting and providing opportunities for the development and increased participation rates of junior, female and male cyclists.

“This has basically been developed from what was initially NRS male and female teams, which then sought to offer legitimate community benefit through running programs like Laverton in at-risk communities,” Hall said.

“It is based on the philosophy that while elite sport is great, and it’s certainly a passion of mine, that you really need to be wielding it to do better in the community proactively.

“Unless you are doing that yourself it won’t happen organically, I believe.

“It’s a case of understanding that elite athletes sit within a community structure which ultimately supports them and allows them to achieve incredible things, but it also requires them to put back into grassroots community initiatives in order to fulfil that complete circle or cycle, so to speak.

“It’s largely, I guess, an ethical and moral point where we hope to assist others who need it while also assisting elite athletes in their endeavours, and by proxy that creates a development pathway where cyclists who we identify in remote regions can then enter into a program for high-performance sport, should they so wish to do so.

“Cycling from my experience will only be successful if people work collaboratively. To that end, what we’ve been able to do within the NRS and community space is owed to a group of corporates that have supported our vision and seen value in what we do.

“It’s a real testament to the people and corporations who have supported us.”