Bicycle Network Victoria: Students

Determination, dedication and sheer talent

Thankyou Ride2School team!

Determination, dedication and sheer talent

The determination, dedication and sheer talent of Vermont Secondary School student Alex Morgan has secured himself a scholarship with the Victorian Institute of Sport. The Ride2School team first met Alex Morgan as a year 8 student at Vermont Secondary College with high aspirations for a cycling career. He kick started his ambitions with the Ride2School Programs 500km Gold Medal Challenge. After only 14 days, Alex secured his title as the first ever student to complete the Challenge, weeks before any student was expected to finish, and well before he even thought he’d complete the challenge. For his achievement, Alex was rewarded with a gold medal, the first of many more to follow.

Alex's passion for cycling started at a very young age. From grade 4, he cycled 1.5 km every day to primary school. When he started secondary school the distance expanded to 3.5 km and Alex started competing in cycling events. Competing in the team track event state championships, Alex won a silver and bronze medal. He then went on to come fourth in the state championship road trace.

Since then, his achievements have been countless and include:

Being crowned the Victorian Schools Cycling Championship State Champion 2009; Winning a gold medal & achieving a new Australian record in the Australian Track Championships Team Pursuit; Winning a gold medal in the 2010 Victorian Criterium Championships; and Winning a gold medal and 2 silver medals in the Australian Hill Climbs Championships All of these remarkable achievements have now secured Alex a full scholarship to the Victorian Institute of Sport. Alex is now closer than ever to achieving his ultimate goal of riding for a professional road team in Europe. He now trains up to 18 hours a week and understands that the high intensity of training can be more mental then physical at times.

The Ride2School team would like to congratulate Alex on his amazing achievements and scholarship. We are very proud that from the humble beginnings of the Gold Medal Challenge we are now talking about an athlete of the Victorian Institute of Sport and no doubt one day we’ll be cheering Alex on as he conquers the Tour de France.

If you know of or are a student keen to follow in the steps of Alex the Gold Medal Challenge is a great place to start.

Thankyou Ride2School team!

 To Scott, Mary, Allira, Jess and Olivia,

I would like to say thank you for the bike that you kindly donated to me.  It was very thoughful for you to do what you did for two students that walk or ride to school.  I walk to school everyday but I am now riding all the time.  I'm very grateful for receiving this amazing gift.  I still can't believe I won a new bike.

It was very good timing because I actually wanted a new bike.  As I get older I will ride my bike to high school because I don't live very close to my high school for next year.  I would just like to say thank you very, very much for the bike.

From Chloe M Spring (winner of bike)