Hi I’m Morgan, I’m 23 and I coach for Falkirk Junior Bike Club.
Growing up I wasn’t too interested in cycling. I would occasionally muck about on my bike in the streets or go on the odd ride with my family; but it was mostly dancing that occupied the majority of my time.
However when I was 14, I somehow found myself on a level 1 coaching course for cycling. Fraser who ran the club had been in contact with one of the teachers at my school and asked if they had any 14 or 15 year old girls who they thought might be interested in doing the course and becoming a coach at the club.
I remember that I said no originally but after my family encouraged me I signed up. I knew nothing really about bikes but I started attending sessions then not long after I completed my course. It was the first time that coaches under 16 were able to qualify as an accredited cycling coach, so it felt like a big achievement.
That was eight years ago and since then the club and the sport has given me so many amazing opportunities. I have continued attending club sessions all throughout school, my undergraduate and masters degrees. It has also allowed me to help be involved with a large number of events from small club events, national events and also the British Cyclocross Championships in Falkirk. I also able to volunteer at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Right from when I started I fell in love with coaching, seeing kids coming along and having fun each week, developing skills and growing as not only a rider but also a person; but also the great relationships I have built with other coaches and volunteers in the club have kept me involved for much longer than I originally thought I ever would be.
I really did struggle when I first started to understand everything about bikes and cycling but over time it all became much easier and everyone was always willing to help me out if needed. I’ve never felt I was being treated differently because I was a girl or didn’t grow up cycling, everyone was really welcoming.
For the past year I have been involved with the Girlz A’LOUD programme; which is Scottish Cycling’s girls project aiming to increase participation and give more access to cycling for girls who are aged 12-16.
This started off as just helping out at a one-off session at Fife Cycle Park where a group of girls from clubs all over Scotland came together for the day, rode bikes and then some yoga. It soon developed into a series of sessions taking place in different parts of the country and covering a few different disciplines and I helped out where I could. I was then approached and asked if I wanted to become the lead coach for the programme. Meaning that I would plan all the sessions, both on and off the bike activities, organise with other coaches what is happening and organise any food and drink we might need for the day.
Being offered this opportunity meant a lot to me as it shows how far I’ve come and developed in the eight years I have been coaching to be considered to lead on such a big project. Over the past few months we have ran sessions in both Glasgow and Edinburgh and its been amazing getting to work with a number of girls of different abilities. We start the sessions usually with some arts and crafts as that’s what the girls have been enjoying but we have also played games and done some yoga to help break the ice and start getting to know each other. We then have lunch and go out on our bikes for some fun! It’s amazing to see how quickly they make friends and gain confidence on their bikes!
I’m excited to see the programme continue to evolve and grow over the next year and get even more girls on bikes!
Sign-Up to Girlz A’LOUD here
This week, as you may have guessed, is Women and Girls in Sport Week. It’s always such an exciting week as it helps highlight the amazing work everyone is doing in sport.
If there is any young girls thinking about getting into cycling I would strongly encourage you to! I knew nothing and grew up dancing which is very different however I have loved learning and growing throughout my cycling journey. It has given me so many amazing opportunities I can now take into my life and career but also so many lifelong friends I would’ve never had before! It is scary to take that first step but so so worth it in the end.
Looking forward to 2027, I’m excited to continue coaching and leading Girlz A’LOUD but also excited about the Tour de France Grand Depart and Tour de France Femmes coming to the UK. This is a great opportunity to showcase what our sport is about and inspire people everywhere to get on bikes. But particularly girls, showing them that they can take part in cycling and can race at a high level like the boys or even just have the ability to go out and enjoy a ride. Major events always play a crucial role in inspiring people to get involved and I look forward to using the momentum created from these events to inspire more girls!
