Pro cyclists motivate kids to move

Matt Bower
Posted 9/23/14

UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling team members John Murphy and Hannah Barnes stopped by the Boys & Girls Club of Warwick Friday as part of Motivated to Move, an event to educate children about the …

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Pro cyclists motivate kids to move

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UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling team members John Murphy and Hannah Barnes stopped by the Boys & Girls Club of Warwick Friday as part of Motivated to Move, an event to educate children about the importance of nutrition and exercise as well as bike safety.

In addition to going over proper nutrition and eating healthy, exercising regularly, and how to be safe on a bike, Murphy and Barnes handed out free water bottles, signed posters and posed for photos. Healthy snacks were also provided.

“This is a new program to help kids eat better and exercise more, which is the key to good health,” said Patrice Cooper, executive director of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Rhode Island, who has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America “to empower children to live more active and healthy lives” through Motivated to Move. “We partner with community agencies that are invested in this with a similar desire.”

Maria Gordon-Shydlo, media contact with UnitedHealthcare (UHC), said the partnership between UHC and the cycling team works well.

“We sponsor the pro-cycling team and they agreed to come and talk to the kids, most of whom ride bikes,” she said. “They’re an inspiration and have a positive impact on the kids, who come back year after year for these programs.”

The event started with Murphy and Barnes answering questions from the kids before showing them how to properly wear a helmet and passing out water bottles and signing posters.

“To be a pro-athlete, it’s a lifestyle; you have to eat well, sleep well and train well,” Murphy said, who’s been riding for 18 years. “Exercise every day, whether it be basketball, swimming, whatever it is; make sure you do it.”

The cyclists said they usually eat a big breakfast on race day and continue to fuel their body with snacks, as a race can last anywhere between 60 and 200 miles. They also take two water bottles with them to stay hydrated.

“We have to be careful of what we eat, such as candy, sweets and cola – those contain calories that won’t help fuel us,” Murphy said, adding that chicken, beef, whole grain pasta, fruits and vegetables are preferred.

Murphy said being a professional athlete is rewarding.

“It allows you to set a goal and accomplish it,” he said. “If I set a year-long goal to win a race and I train for it all year and then I win the race, it’s very rewarding.”

Both Murphy and Barnes said they enjoy getting to travel and visit many different places as they race all over the world.

“We raced in Norway last month and we saw reindeer,” Murphy said.

The cyclists also talked about the importance of teamwork.

“People don’t think of cycling as a team sport, but you can’t win a race without teamwork,” Murphy said. “Cycling is unique because when you watch professional teams, it’s the teams that win and get the points, but in cycling we work together to help the team win the race, even though only one team member actually wins.”

Being a professional cyclist, Murphy said safety is the number one priority.

“We couldn’t be cyclists if we got injured. If we’re hurt, we wouldn’t have a job,” he said. “With bike safety, the number one rule is wearing a helmet.”

Murphy said sometimes during the short rides in your neighborhood when you’re not going very fast is when some of the worst crashes can occur.

“If you’re pedaling on a bike, you should be wearing a helmet. Make sure the helmet is latched on and tight around the neck,” he said, demonstrating how to properly wear a helmet.

Barnes said when riding on the road, it’s also important to follow the rules of the road.

“Stop at all red traffic lights and always put lights on your bike when riding at night,” she said. “Ride with the traffic and follow the same rules of the of the road as cars.”

Murphy said it’s also important to make sure your equipment is up to date and in working order.

“Make sure air is in the tires, which should be firm to the touch,” he said. “If you don’t ride a bike for a few weeks, the tire loses air and goes flat, so you need to pump them up.”

Murphy said he likes riding and it’s something he’s always wanted to do.

“I’m happy to be able to keep doing it. UnitedHealthcare makes it possible for us to race all over the world, which is an awesome opportunity,” he said.

With regard to training, he said most riders do cross training in the winter and engage in other athletic activities to stay in shape, such as rock climbing, hiking and swimming.

“But during the season, from February to October, it’s 95 percent cycling,” he said.

Murphy said it’s important to promote cycling at the youth level, but even more important than racing is “exercising and having fun.”

Barnes, who has been riding for 11 years, said she realized she wanted to do it as a career when she was 17 or 18.

“Events like this are really important,” she said of going out into the community and educating kids. “It’s why I got into it. It’s nice to inspire kids to get into it.”

She said she trains five to six days a week.

“A lot of work goes into it,” she said.

Monique Rossi, branch director of the Boys & Girls Club of Warwick at 340 Oakland Beach Ave., said the Motivated to Move event was brought to her attention by Laura D’Antuono, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Warwick.

“It was during summer camp and I thought the kids would get a big enjoyment out of it,” Rossi said.

She said Friday was the first time the event has happened at the branch and she hopes to bring more like it in the future.

“I would love to have different types of organizations come to us and educate the kids in every way possible,” she said. “The kids really enjoyed it. I would love to have more of the community come into our building.”

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