The project main aim is promoting Cycling as a traditional European sport to help combatting diabetes and enhance people’s health. The project focuses on a real a need of target groups/associations and is meant to be highly sustainable. The project will contribute recommendations for local citizens (targeting nonprofessional cyclists as well) in addressing the issue of lack in physical activity and well-being. The Cure project experiences will be sustainable and deliverable to the wider public in the form of Manual and "the Pills for Health", which will be available via the project website (it will be maintained for another year after the project completion), project accounts in social networks, etc.
Our project “Sports is better than Cure” is set to achieve four objectives;
adopt a more holistic approach that will integrate diverse aspects such as Health awareness (training and diet), cultural enrichment along with social connections into the Sports dimension
promote Cycling not only as a mere type of Sports but an optimal learning tool for bikers’ cultural and social enrichment
design a preliminary Training program customized for several target groups with specific health parameters in common
contribute with empirical insights to Sports policy and Sports Training programme in an evidence-based manner.
Planned events
The course’s objective is to offer an introduction into bicycle touring as a leisure sport activity that can be practiced individually or as a group activity. Taking place once a week over 3 months (10 sessions in total), each session will start with general Theory Introduction (about 45 minutes), to be followed with a 3-hour practical part on the road.
Participants will be introduced to:
- Types of bikes, most important bike parts & basic maintenance
- How to be safe on a bike tour and bike repairing techniques
- Planning a bicycle journey
- Usage of GPS devices, apps and online resources for bike touring
- Useful equipment for bicycle travellers
- A brief overview of bicycle travel stories and the different approaches to bicycle touring and cycle tourism
- Group cycling techniques
Training Activities:
- Workshops with in-formal learning sessions
- Quizzes about the theoretical sessions, Cycling quizzes and Cultural quizzes,
- Practical sessions including geo-catching treasure hunting and bike set-up contests
During the practical sessions, participants will be trained and accompanied by at least 2 trainers appointed by responsible partner – one to lead the team and one biking at the end to supervise the whole team.
Expectations
What we believe and expectation of the project.
New Horizons: To create a notable, positive change in local people's way of life towards physical activeness, health parameters, and socialization through Cycling.
GESEME: Increase the awareness of sports’ benefits for personal and community health.
ASSA Sport Talent: People can and should be learning confidentiality, responsibility and handling stressful situations, i.e. developing through establishing a healthy way of living, which includes physical activities (cycling) and healthy food/dieting.
Long term impact
The Cure project is expected to make aware and stir up the desire to actively practice traditional sports such as cycling as a way to combat physical inactivity and also an optimal tool for cultural and social enrichment. This will serve as an important base for participants to keep practicing sport in the future on an autonomous basis as a healthy and sane hobby, which is a primary goal the project strives to achieve. In addition, the long-term effects shall be felt by:
- Local communities in Italy, Spain, and North Macedonia hosting the project meetings, local sports events, final conference, will experience examples of European cooperation, thus improving the feeling of European Citizenship; and see Cycling as an attractive and socially-encouraged form of healthy lifestyle and socialization
- Establishment of synergies and greater involvement between Sport organizations, local/regional/national Health Institutions through project activities and events; Greater awareness and knowledge on topics such as sports not as a separate discipline but in close conjunction with others in the course of health improvement;
- Proposal for adoption of innovative and holistic approach that integrates diverse aspects such as Health awareness (training and diet) – Cultural enrichment – Social connections into the Sports dimension.
- The wide and free distribution of the Pills for health to the public, to be deposited at popular points of references such as local Municipality, Schools, Library, Drugstores and Supermarkets is expected to create tangible impact on people’s awareness and practice in all partners’ countries.
