Cycling has multiple benefits for health and fitness. The motivation for going forward with this experience came from my Dad. He started cycling early morning every day to focus on his health and fitness during the pandemic. After a couple of months, the outcome was visible. While enjoying himself with friends, my Dad took steps towards reducing carbon footprint, improving their health and fitness. Seeing my Dad take this step persuaded me to take a small footmark to preferably cycle my way to the football classes which, occurred almost every day. As it was a pandemic, it would benefit us to take care of our health and fitness, thus inspiring me to select this experience. The goal was to improve health and fitness. Focusing on health and fitness was something I wanted to focus on throughout the different adventures as, during this pandemic, it is a visible opportunity to make the right decisions to improve your health and fitness.
LO 1 – Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
Health and Fitness were something I was focused on improvising during these CAS experiences, and cycling helped me with it. Telling me to go and cycle every day while waking up in the early morning was something I would not have woken up. Football Classes are something I would never miss if I had a chance to go. Going to football classes helped inspire me to cycle my way to my football classes almost every day and back while waking up early once in a while, which I was totally against, as you can call me a night owl instead of an early bird. Knowing this, I took the help of Football as a guide for me towards trying to be an early bird while improving my health and fitness, which benefits me being better. Breezing that early morning air is something I wasn’t fond of as I never gave it a shot. This experience helped me grow in areas that will benefit me in the end.
LO 2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
I challenged myself according to my weaknesses which I was able to interpret and overcome. I was not an early bird which I was willing to change by taking small steps, in this case, waking up early and going to football classes. I challenged myself in health and fitness too, which is a weakness for most probably everyone during this pandemic as there’s no physical activity. For every early morning session conducted, I made sure that I was ready on time always by sleeping early and waking up early. Cycling was the more effortless part of this experience as it was something I was fond of riding. The leading purpose behind this adventure was to get myself waking up early, improve my mental, physical health, and fitness. This experience was entirely a different challenge, and it made me incline towards Flexibility skills, which will for sure benefit me in the future run.
LO 3 – Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
This adventure was not too flexible as there were days when I had my school schedule and football classes clashing but, there would always be a 1-hour gap between the same making me decide a plan to work on so that the time utilized goes effectively. I am not a guy working according to a schedule, so this made me follow a more tight schedule to have some additional flexibility. Understanding and knowing the importance of scheduling yourself makes the adventure more flexible, even while conducting an activity or performing in one.
LO 4 – Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
The commitment was something necessary during this activity. Following a schedule, making time for things, committing to not missing a single day for this activity to get the perfect outcome out of this adventurous experience. It was sometimes annoying and tough to be persistent about the adventure. Cycling 8km was difficult during the first couple of days as I wasn’t used to cycling a long way non-stop. This activity taught me that determining commitment and perseverance truly benefits you in achieving satisfaction with the predicted and hoped-for outcome.
LO 6 – Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
The primary issue focused on this experience was to take a small step to reduce the Carbon Footprint. Carbon Footprint is the number of greenhouse gases generated by our actions that has an immense global significance. Carbon footprint reduction would help towards fighting against climate change. Climate Change is a serious global issue. Reducing carbon emissions is not a thing that can change overnight. A disturbing fact during 2020 was that climate change could be irreversible by 2030. Thinking about it in deep makes you realize how troubling it is. This understanding made me think about taking a small step towards reducing carbon emissions. Reducing carbon footprint will help everyone in the world, not only me, as it disturbs the whole world’s population, including all living things facing challenges due to our actions. Being aware of the global issue helps me take precautionary measures trying to avoid increasing the carbon footprint. Knowing what’s going around globally, a small step with the help of my experience makes me encouraged and confident towards influencing other people to take action.
LO 7 – Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
The issue itself considers the ethics of choices and actions. Knowing the harsh reality of this world while still not taking a step is unethical. Climate change has brought intense storms, droughts, heatwaves, melting glaciers, high sea levels, and high temperatures. Our actions it has not only affected us and the climate, but it has also affected almost every living thing. I was keen to take small steps for this harsh reality resulting in solutions like this experience. I tried to reach out to my friends one on one to rather a carpool or cycle your way to a destination if possible to initiate a step to reducing carbon footprint. Beginning a measure made me feel confident and proud of myself as I took steps to reduce my carbon footprint while also influencing others.
Summing it all up, I enjoyed my way throughout this journey as it was something for a cause and self-improvement which I was able to see the outcome. I developed a few learner profiles such as Thinker, Communicator, and Balanced. Initiating a plan that is the smallest of small steps is somewhere to begin with rather than reacting to the harsh reality with nothing. Spreading the word about reducing your carbon footprint and how cycling can be a small step towards the same, in the end, doing it all while balancing sports, health, and school, making me know that I developed these learner profiles. While it was just an experience for about a month, I will still be continuing this journey most of the time I can. Irrespective of CAS, it is something I enjoyed because it improved my physical and mental health and fitness while doing it for a cause.
Evidence –
A video of me cycling: