December 2023 Update: Please read Ella’s bio below. She was a great team member and is always a welcomed bike mechanic and volunteer.
Hi! I’m Ella and I am Newmarket Cycles’ Program Assistant for the 2023 summer season. I will be working alongside Mathew — Newmarket Cycles’ amazing Program Coordinator and bike mechanic — as well as the many incredible volunteers that keep the bike hub running. My goal is to serve the community and absorb as much knowledge as possible on bike maintenance and repair.
I’ve spent years inside Newmarket’s forests enjoying its trails and hidden passageways; I truly love immersing myself in nature. With a focus on using bikes to encourage healthy living and vibrant communities, Newmarket Cycles’s goals align well with my own. I believe that the more people who can easily access transportation options beyond cars, the healthier communities will be, including the planet at large. As a 2023 high school graduate, my plans involve going to university to study Environmental Science, and work to ensure the future of our planet.
What I have realized in recent years is how closed off my world felt before broadening my transportation options. As soon as I started using a bike as my main source of transportation, I was able to explore the larger parts of Newmarket. Prior to that, I only explored places that I could reach on foot. I started to depend on my bike more and more and when things broke down, it was a nightmare to get them repaired for a reasonable price; Newmarket Cycles was able to help me access a much-needed tune up on my old dingy bike. Eventually, I was also able to trade in my bike a new one that was more suited for my height and transportation needs.
When it comes to exercise, I struggle with maintaining a routine; sometimes, it can feel hard to stay healthy all by yourself. What I realized was how much easier it was to ride alongside others, I found myself exercising more often — all of a sudden exercising felt less daunting and more fun. Newmarket Cycles has allowed me to find likeminded people who enjoy biking, just like me, and so I’m really looking forward to meeting and helping everyone who visits Newmarket Cycles this year.