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Bernard Kabiro’s passion for cycling began when he was young. He recalls never leaving his bicycle behind every time he was sent for an errand such as going to the market, buying milk, or fetching water.

“I loved my bicycle.  It was always me and my bicycle,” he recalls.

However, when he got a job at Ol Pejeta, in wildlife patrol department, he shelved his cycling passion. It was only when he was injured by a buffalo in 2010, an injury that left him in bed for three months that he went back to cycling.  “When I was in hospital, the doctor advised me to start cycling as therapy for my legs. That’s how I came back to my old passion,” he continues.

It is during these practices that Bernard became great in cycling. He was inspired to attend cycling events in his area and noticed that he would always come on top.

“I won many awards at cycling events. I event tried 10to4 Mountain Bike Challenge and have won several times. I represented the country in the Commonwealth twice; in 2014 and 2018,” adds Bernard.

Now that he is retired, his passion has been passed on to his daughters who follow him diligently and train to become just like their father. They began at the age of three and seven and have grown ever since.

“My children have followed in my footsteps. When they were young, I bought them small bicycles and they would follow me each time I trained for events,” says Bernard.

 “Cycling  enables children to be disciplined. It also keeps them busy, especially when they are not at school, which is more important for girls, lest they go astray,” he adds.

Yasmine Kabiro, one of his daughters recalls the training that her father put her through to become an award-winning cyclist.

“My father would call our neighbour’s children and we would train together at home,” she recalls

Yasmine and her sister Naomi have been in various races and have most of the time emerged winners just like their father. For instance, in 2021 she went to Namibia for mountain bike championship, where she emerged position eight. She also participated in another race in Burundi where she was number three.

“My father has assisted many children learn cycling— not just us. He talks to them and takes them to competitions to watch other big cyclists,” she adds.

Fun way of life

Bernard believes that when children learn new skills, they also build independence, confidence and self-esteem.

“Helping children learn new skills can be an important part of supporting overall development too. It is great when they start when they are young since cycling improves their fitness, boosts their cognitive development, introduces them to a healthy kind of living and enables them do something that is free and fun,” says Bernard.

One of the challenges that he faced when training his daughters was buying the equipment required for training as they are expensive.

“The bicycle used in such races too is expensive and costs Sh500,000. We decided to improvise by modifying the local bicycle,” continues Bernard. 

The girls raise funds for cycling by participating in races. Bernard too has a bicycle repair shop.

“My two daughters have been invited to South Africa twice for training, but lack of funds has made it impossible for them to travel. They both need like Sh150,000,” he says.

Bernard shares how raising daughters is challenging. He is both their manager and acts as their security person whenever necessary.  “I have to act as security guy since they can lose their bicycles or someone might attack them. In addition, as a parent, I must know that where they are going is safe too,” he says.

Family support

With the huge range of bicycles, bike seats as well as children’s bicycles, Bernard says this has made it easier for parents to cycle with their children.  “Your baby can cycle with you from around 12 months – younger if you are using a bicycle seat. As they grow older you can progress to using a ‘tag-along’ bike, or buy them their own tricycle or bike with stabilisers,” he explains.

Bernard believes that cycling is good for children as it assists them get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day, which one-third of children currently don’t achieve, sadly.

“Once you’ve invested in bikes and some basic kit, it’s a cosly investment , but provides so many benefits. For instance, many teachers report that children who walk and cycle to school are more alert and ready to learn than those who arrive by car or go by bus.  It’s also fun and assists your children get to know their local area and feel part of it.  Cyclists too breathe in less pollution from traffic than car drivers and allowing your children to cycle in conservation events assists in creating awareness of issues,” he explains.

Bernard advises parents to nurture their chilrdren’s talents and not create a stumbling block.

“If you see your children playing with a ball or cycling, support them for maybe that’s their talent. When you encourage your child to ride a bike while they’re young, it helps to establish healthy exercise habits that are likely to stay with them for life,” he says.