As the clouds parted for a time and the rain paused for a day, the fourth graders at Nederland Elementary School participated in their first ever Ned SHRED Mountain Biking day.

Sierra Melamed, who is a member of the PTA and a key organizer of the program, said, “We live in a place that offers unique and amazing outdoor opportunities and these outdoor experiences are part of what makes Nederland Elementary such an amazing school. We are doing this program so that we can see the joy on the face of a child who has learned to ride a bike.”

The Nederland Elementary PTA, Peak to Peak Endurance, Singletrack Mountain Bike Association (SMBA), and their partners all worked together so the third, fourth and fifth graders all had a full day of mountain biking. Every child was provided with a bike, helmet, shoes, backpack, gloves, and rain jacket for the day if they needed it.

A SMBA certified coach was with each group of students regardless of their biking ability or previous experience.

Before her group left to bike to Mud Lake, Jade Padmore enthusiastically said, “This is awesome! I love biking.”

The fourth graders were very excited to get out on the trails or on the field wherever their group was headed first. However, before they could go anywhere the coaches went through safety protocol.

At the end of the day the kids came back tired, but they enjoyed the day.

Melamed continued, “Ultimately, the vision for this program is that every kid has the opportunity to mountain bike, regardless of financial status or access to equipment.” They are hoping kids will love the outdoor activity and maybe find a new passion.

To find out more about SMBA, check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/singletrackmountain bikeadventures/