History was made at the weekend when Cycling Time Trials elected its first ever female chairperson. Seventy-one years after it was first formed as the Road Time Trials Council Sheila Hardy heads the body that controls domestic time trialling.
A single mother with two married daughters and a grand daughter, Hardy has been involved with cycling for 45 years, first as a competitor and organiser before moving on to the governing side of the sport.
From the early Nineties she has served on the Midlands District Council Committee holding various offices. Hardy became a National Committee member in 1997.
Hardy is the British Horse Society Health and Safety Officer where her work with bodies like the Association of Chief Police Officers, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Ministry of Transport, Members of Parliament, and the Highways Agency could help further the interests of the sport.
?I want to encourage more youngsters into the sport and to get the roadmen back into time trialling as well as maintain our right to stay on the roads,? Hardy told the delegates at CTT?s National Council Meeting, at Derby, on Sunday.
?I would like to thank those who have placed their confidence in me and promise to continue Peter McGrath?s (the out going Chairman) good work.
?With the high profile our sport currently holds after the Olympic successes now is the time to maintain our place on the road and to develop opportunities on closed circuits such as Blenheim.
?Such events will encourage younger members of our clubs to try our sort and it is undeniable that our future lies with them,? Hardy said.
Outgoing Chairman McGrath, who has held the post for 15 years, thanked everyone for their support ?over so many years.?
McGrath was voted on to the National Committee that guides the fortunes of the sport on behalf of a 1,000 plus clubs.
A move to introduce a short distance Best All-Rounder Competition, over 10, 25 and 50 miles failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority at the meeting. Thirty delegates backed the move while 34 gave it the thumbs down.
The meeting went along with a National Committee plan to initiate a publicity programme in the cycling press to attract new members into clubs
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