Cycling in Sydney Australia

Australian Bicycling Achievement Awards

Well as you probably know by now, last week I was awarded the Cycling Award of the Year in the Honorary category for Sydney Cyclist. The awards are an initiative of the Cycling Promotion Fund and aim to recognise innovation and contribution to promote cycling in the community.

The event was somewhat secretive, I knew about the nomination several weeks ago but was asked not to say anything about it. Apparently I was nominated by "a few" people. I know who some of those are, but I get the feeling there are a number of people who I have no idea about. I've thanked the ones I know personally, to any others... Thank you!

Getting to the awards was a hectic for me, I left a meeting in Brisbane at 5pm, had to get on a train to the airport by 5:10, checked in, flew to Sydney, changed planes and flew to Canberra, was there by about 10pm. After the awards I had to be back on a plane at 12 to get back for a meeting in Brisbane at 3:30. The end of June is always a busy time for me.

The awards started with breakfast at 7am, a rather chilly 7am for someone now acclimatised for Brisbane weather. First person I saw there was Andrew and his wife. Great to see a familiar face. Also good to see and chat to Russ again.

Andrew was there to accept an award given to BIKESydney, the Special Achievement Award for a Bicycle Organisation. The award was in recognition of the Bike Valet program. I'm sure a lot of you have had a bike parked by one of the crew at an event, and I know a lot of you have volunteered. So congrats to everyone at BIKESydney, you guys and girls do a whole bunch of great work!

The ceremony was fun, Stephen Hodge ran a good event and the awards were handed out by an assortment of pollies, industry people and event sponsors. I got a laugh when I noted to the audience the irony of awarding a website based on cycling in Sydney with a sharp piece of glass.

Afterwards we headed outside into the chilly Canberra air for a photoshoot before going back inside where I got to meet and talk to a a whole stack of great people, other winners and nominees, industry people and event sponsors.

That part was fantastic, I got a whole bunch of good ideas for this site (and the others) and made a bunch of new contacts. There was a real vibe of what we could do together to make things better. I'm looking forward to following up on those.

So what does this award mean for the site ? Well it's nice to be recognised for creating it, but it's the community here that keep it all happening. So I owe a huge thanks to everyone who contributes here and keeps things going, this site is seen as a very important part of cycling in Sydney and you're all a part of it.

What is has done for me is given me some more inspiration and motivation to make this as well as Brisbane and Melbourne even bigger and better and I'm looking at ways of doing that.

So again, thanks everyone! This site rocks :)

0 members like this

Comment by Susan on June 20, 2010 at 7:12pm: Congratulations! Sounds like you had fun at the ceremony too.

Comment by sydneyCommuter on June 20, 2010 at 9:20pm: Looks like it was hectic but exciting day!

Congratulation Damian. You deserve for making it happen.

Comment by BikeSaint on June 20, 2010 at 10:11pm: Hip hip hooray for Damian!
Well deserved. So many of us have benefited so much from SC.

Comment by ChrisS on June 20, 2010 at 10:38pm: And I'm happy that you're happy.

Comment by Dan on June 21, 2010 at 10:25am: Congratulations! Very well deserved.

Comment by Peter H on June 23, 2010 at 8:00am: To Damian, may your downhills be many and your coasting be long, and may your wind be always at your rear.

Congratulations again.

And to everyone else on this site that continually contribute, congratulations to you also as the site would be nothing without its content.

Australian Bicycling Achievement Awards

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