The Character Company Cycling Team
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Cycling is a great sport with benefits that reach far beyond a good muscle workout and increased cardiovascular health. Mental health conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety can be reduced by regular bike riding. This is due to the effects of the exercise itself and because of the enjoyment that riding a bike can bring. Our cycling team is additional to our weekly MENtorship and camps. In other words it does not replace any form of MENtorship the boys receive but simply add onto that. The cycling team has various mentors who guide and assist the boys with planning and training. This is in fact a great opportunity for boys and MENtors to work together, encourage and support each other.
PURPOSE
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A recreational cycling team where boys get the opportunity to set goals, commit, work hard and succeed. On top of that it is an opportunity for each individual boy to prove to himself that he is capable of so much more than he thinks. And like with all forms of experiential learning, the lessons, skills and values learnt through cycling are valuable and can be applied to other areas of life. Leadership is encouraged through the appointment of a team leader who oversees all rider activities. We believe in servant leadership and will therefore encourage the team leader to use this leadership style while leading the team. We also use the cycling to encourage healthy living – regular exercise, eating healthy and getting enough rest. This will ultimately improve a person’s quality of life. Lastly, we also strive to discover hidden talent. You never know where this might take one or more of the boys…
TRAINING
We usually train over weekends between July and November with our focus on the 947 Cycle Challenge taking place in November every year, but the boys do receive an additional training program to follow during the week. This of course, requires a lot of self-discipline.
Self-discipline is one of our core values at The Character Company, and one we want the boys to practice on a daily basis.
Starting 2021, we will increase our weekend training sessions so that they run between February and November. We will do this to prepare the boys for more cycling events in 2021
EVENTS / RACES:
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Our focus has always been on the 947 Cycle Challenge, but starting 2021, we would like to participate in at least 4 events annually. Our aim is to expose the boys to other events and when the time is right let them compete at school, provincial and even national events.
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2017 events:
This was the first year we took on the 947 Cycle Challenge with an official TCC cycling team. We had 5 boys, 2 MENtors and our full time Social Worker on the team, various other cyclists riding for and supporting The Character Company and a support team
consisting of a number of moms and mentors next to the road under our very visible Character Company gazebo.
2019 events:
2019 was the second year we took on the 947 Cycle Challenge with an official TCC cycling team. The team consisted of 6 boys, 4 MENtors and our full time Social Worker. And again we had various other cyclists riding for and supporting The Character Company.
2020 events:
947 Cycle Challenge (TBC due to the lockdown)
2021 events:
Q1 – Event TBC
Q2 – Event TBC
Q3 – Event TBC
Q4 – 947 Cycle Challenge
SUPPORT OUR TEAM
YOU CAN SUPPORT OUR TEAM IN 1 OF 3 WAYS
1. Words of encouragement
2. Make a donation
3. Advertise your business on our cycling shirts (for a 12-month period)
Send words / a letter of encouragement to the boys. You can email your words of encouragement to willie.ch@racter.co.za and we’ll make sure the boys get them.
a. Mountain bikes
b. Road bikes
c. Helmets
d. Other cycling gear
e. Financially (also let us know how you want us to allocate the money)
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Bike maintenance
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New bikes
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Training expenses
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Event entries
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Weekly MENtorship
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Camps
Advertise your business on our cycling shirts (for a 12-month period)
1. Small logo on the arm @ R5,000
2. Small logo on the front @ R7,000
3. Big logo on the front @ R9,000
4. Small logo on the back @ R12,000
5. Big logo on the back @ R15,000
If you want to join us for a training session or event, have any questions, or want to
get involved in any other way, please get in touch with Willie – willie.ch@racter.co.za
SPECIAL REQUEST :
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We’ve been borrowing bikes until now, but would love to have our own bikes that we can train with, race with and take care of. Please get in touch if you are able and/or willing to donate/buy a good entry level mountain bike for one of the boys. The bike will belong to the TCC Cycling Team but will be allocated to a specific boy for as long as he is part of the team. Mountain bike for one of the boys. The bike will belong to the TCC Cycling Team but will be allocated to a specific boy for as long as he is part of the team. Please see below examples of the bikes we have in mind. We realize it’s an expensive item, but a bike that is well maintained can last for a very long time.
Scott Aspect +- R7000.00
Titan RogueCruz +- R9000.00
