Two Wheels Can Take You to a Healthier Life

In the whirl of daily life, between our jobs, raising three kids and building a house, we have come to the point of neglecting what is the most important thing – and that is our health. Modern way of life, abounding in obligations and stress, has resulted in losing the time we take for ourselves, eventually leading to piling up the kilos and developing a poor mental state. We were aware that it was the high time for a change.

We decided to replace sitting in front of a TV set and eating unhealthy snacks in the evening with the activity that at first glance seemed like an ideal solution - cycling. We thought it was a perfect activity for us – consuming less time than taking a walk (which later turned out to be an interesting misapprehension) and providing an extraordinary physical effort. Four years ago, we purchased second-hand medium-class bicycles and set out on an adventure that would change our lives.

It wasn’t an easy start. The first ride to the village Margita was quite a challenge. It seemed immensely difficult, but it did not discourage us. On the contrary, we liked it, and we didn’t want to give up. We fell in love with exploring our surroundings on two wheels, we got to know all the nearby villages and have become more healthy and happy people.

Bojan has found his passion in mountain biking, exploring new trails and conquering new peaks, while I enjoyed road cycling more, in spite of the fact that over the first couple of years, I used to ride a mountain bike on the road.

The change was visible – not only in our physical appearance, but also in our mental state.

Last year, we switched to road bikes, which has taken the cycling to a whole new level. We have become aware of the importance of safety gear - bike helmets, cycling glasses, quality cycling protective clothing, lights and reflective safety vests. Our rides were longer and faster, and a 100km ride has become our new standard.

Discipline and consistency have become our best friends. There are days when we have to force ourselves to go out for a ride of at least 40km, but it always ends up with us being satisfied and refreshed. Bojan’s victory at the first MTB race, in which he participated with the most modest bicycle on the track, was a great joy for us, and hanging out with other cyclists was a real revelation.

I wanted to try out a Brevet ride. It is a long-distance ride of no competition nature, more like an endurance test with a time limit in which the ride must be completed. I rode a 200km-long ‘Spartan brevet’ with three friends of mine. All of us enjoyed the ride and completed it successfully.

Cycling has changed our lives. Not only that we have become more physically active and healthier, but we have also met wonderful people and made new friends. We hope to inspire also our kids to become keen on cycling as we are. I like to joke that from hundreds in kilos we switched to hundreds in kilometres.

Cycling is now in our blood and we are eager for new challenges. If our story can inspire someone to get on a bike and start changing their life for the better, we will be more than happy.

Cycling is not just a sport, it is a way of life.

Author: Bojana Čejić i Bojan Čejić

SourceHemofarm Foundation - Two Wheels Can Take You to a Healthier Life (fondacijahemofarm.org.rs)