Award winners:
Kelly Jamieson (Shepparton CC) for her enormous work in getting Breeze up and running in a regional community (now with over 110 women involved after six months!);
Tim Scarborough (St Kilda CC) for supporting women's cycling through sponsorship that has enabled equal prize money;
Jacinta Costello (Ladies Back on Your Bike) for targetting women over the age of 40 to rediscover the love of cycling;
Pip Carroll (The Squeaky Wheel) for instigating, among others, the Pushy Women Rides series to get all women on their bikes;
Jarrod Potter (Star News Group) for excellence in covering women's cycling for work reporting on women and girls in Melbourne's south-east;
Laurie Lovelock (Hawthorn CC) for being a leader of change that has overseen Hawthorn progressing to be the biggest growing club in Victoria for women; and
Tracey Gaudry (President Oceania Cycling Confederation) for being a legend on the international scene including Vice President of the UCI, supporting women at world level and also as CEO of the Amy Gillett Foundation.
It was so great to be able to give due recognition for the efforts of so many - and also the finalists as well - for all their incredible work. That in itself is so inspiring.
At the start of the evening I made the following speech about words and actions, and a reminder that we aren't there yet. There is much more work to do.
The video below provides a summary of the work over the past three years that the Cycling Victoria Women and Girls' Commission - as sub-committee of the Cycling Victoria board - has undertaken alongside everyone at Cycling Victoria. When you look back the change has been enormous. Enjoy!
IWD 2014: Inspiring Change
Good evening. On behalf of Cycling Victoria I would like to thank you so much for joining us tonight on this special occasion.
In a few moments I want to show you a short video that highlights the journey that Cycling Victoria has been on over the past three and a half years to help shift our sport to become more welcoming for women.
It has been a long journey, and one you have all been a part of. Tonight we will hear of some amazing work being undertaken in our community from top women and men keen to simply see more females on bikes. You will hear of the many ways in which this can be achieved, and underpinning all of this great work there are the common themes of a strong passion for community, opportunity and ultimately, equality.
The journey is not easy and we are not at the end goal yet.
In the past twelve months I have been learning about the differences between words and actions. About saying you believe in something, and actually seeing something you believe in being achieved. Simply saying that you support women’s cycling is nowhere near enough. Cycling cannot change to embrace more women simply with words. The actions to follow these words are the key. Fortunately, tonight’s finalists will show case what this means in real life. As the International Women’s Day theme for 2014 is Inspiring Change, I hope you will be inspired by their messages too, in terms of words AND actions.
Our next challenge as an organisation is very clear: sustainability. How do we sustain all this good work happening across our communities? How do we ensure our next leaders embrace the need to continually push for a greater female presence in cycling at all levels, from riding to the shops to sitting in board rooms?
To change a culture requires an understanding from within the culture that change is needed. It is up to all of us to remind everyone involved in cycling in some shape or form that getting more women into cycling is a necessity for the future of our way of life, as a mode of transport, and as a sport. When you welcome women, you welcome everyone. With all of us pulling together, we can unlock the flood gates.
Keep up the good work.
