What's on

Sam Squiers is an award-winning Sports Journalist, Presenter, Author and the founder of Sportette. Sam has worked with Australia’s leading media and sports organisations including Channel 9, NRL, Surfing Australia, Channel 7, Sky News and Southern Cross Austereo.

Over the course of Sam’s career she’s become a strong advocate for women in sport. In 2014, Sam founded Sportette to provide an avenue to tell the incredible stories of our female athletes and it grew to be a leading think tank on Women’s Sports.

Recently Sam debuted a children’s novel “Princesses WearSneakers. A heartwarming tale of a princess’s passionate pursuit of her sporting dreams, PWS sends a powerful message to girls about sport from a key early age.

She is also the host of “On Her Game” podcast which tells the stories of our elite sportswomen.

While juggling her media commitments and keynote speaking engagements, Sam is also an Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) Board Director and a mum to her own two little girls, Imogen and Elle.

• This Girl Can – Victoria Ambassador
• Jean Hailes for Women’s Health Ambassador
• Specialized Ambassador
• Cycling Luminaries Leadership Award
• Cycling Victoria Iris Dixon Award for Commitment to Women’s Cycling
• VicSport Award for Best Outdoor Active Recreation Program

Seeing more women on bikes is Tina’s passion! In a teary beachside epiphany while riding a bike, Tina suddenly realised she had spent too many years sitting on her butt in her design career, was eating for comfort and had inadvertently placed herself into the high risk category for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. She’d become unfit, obese and was a ticking time bomb for chronic illness. With gestational diabetes during pregnancy and the loss of her father through heart disease, the reality of chronic illness was looming ever closer. Tina knew she had to lose weight and exercise to decrease the odds of diabetes and heart disease – it was insurance for a longer life! So, out came the bike after years of hiding in the shed and all those feelings of childhood freedom returned, the ‘inner kid’ re-appeared along with the bike.

Through her journey on the bicycle Tina realised other women could benefit from the skills and knowledge she had gathered to keep herself riding with confidence and without fear – so the design career was ditched and Wheel Women was born! With a focus on providing skills and regular rides to help women build their confidence to ride, Wheel Women provides a safe and supportive environment for women to start cycling, or return to riding. But it is so much more than just a cycling group!

Emma’s passion for active recreation and sport has stretched many years. When reflecting on her work, the many highlights are closely connected to the amazing people that she has been honoured to collaborate with. Currently, Emma leads the active recreation team at Sport and Recreation Victoria and only last week the team celebrated launching a brand new initiative, Get Active Victoria.

Emma Jackson has been at Sport and Recreation Victoria for over 20 years in the capacity of the following roles:

Shel is a keen amateur cyclist who grew up in Tassie and now lives in Melbourne. She took up cycling a little later in life – she got her first road bike in 2012 and fell in love with bikes and the cycling community instantly. She has raced crits and road races at club and VRS level in the past, but these days she’s more likely to be found out in the bush on her gravel bike or in the hills on her roadie. She is passionate about getting women onto bikes and encouraging women to set BIG goals – like entering and finishing Peaks Challenge! She’s an Assistant Principal in a school in inner north-west Melbourne. She organises the Ride2School Day at her school each year, and every year it’s a little bigger, crazier and better than the last. She is passionate about encouraging kids to travel to school actively.

Leyla Asadi is General Manager of the Behaviour Change department at Bicycle Network and has spent the past six years working in the world of bike riding with the intent of finding ways to break down barriers that prevent people from staying active on their day to day journeys. Leyla is passionate about advocating to get more people riding and is always eager to listen to other people’s experiences in order to understand the hurdles they may face. While policy changes can drive the supply, Leyla’s focus is on changing attitudes and behaviours to drive the demand through

I got into cycling just over 10 years ago after my mum passed away.  A friend reached out to get me onto the bike – it was an introduction into an awesome community and helped me through a very difficult time in my life. Many years prior I had actually completed one of the first ATB events – after that, I moved overseas and didn’t ride. I had always wanted to get back into riding. I met my partner on the bike – and we are involved with bicycle network and riding is a big part of our lives.

I am a Liv ambassador and team captain for Team Bicycle Network. 2021 Peaks Challenge will be my 10th in a row – I love volunteering, taking training rides and helping people achieve their goals.  Everyone has a reason for entering a ride like peaks or setting a challenge goal and to help them get there – even in a small way or to hear their stories is such a great reward. I am passionate about women cycling and getting more women (and people) on the bike.

Anyone who knows me, knows how passionate I am about cycling. Cycling is a positive and pivotal part of my life and it has given me a great deal both on and off the bike. I met my partner Lee on a bike ride, cycling keeps me active and fit and commuting provides a great start and end to my working day. Other positive experiences have been volunteering and helping people achieve their goals on the bike, memorable travel opportunities both regionally and overseas and meeting lifelong friends from all walks of life. Cycling has also offered me, and others in my circle, mental health benefits, help to overcome life’s challenges – and the list goes on. 

I have been a volunteer with Bicycle Network for 10 years and became captain for Team Bicycle Network in 2017. We are a group of volunteers dedicated to helping riders achieve their ride goals and who are actively involved in Ride to Work Day, Women’s community, Around The Bay, and as pacers for the infamous Bicycle Network event Peaks Challenge. Peaks Challenge 2021 will be my 10th Falls Creek Peaks Challenge in a row. 

I have held other volunteer roles including treasurer for the St Kilda Cycling Club (SKCC) from 2014-2015 and I am proud to be an ambassador for Bicycling Australia Events and Liv Cycling. I was awarded the 2018 Women in Sport Award for contributions to Women’s cycling and in 2019 my name was listed on the Bicycle Network honour board for my volunteer contributions.