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From First Ride to Leading the Way
- joannegalloway20
- Feb 2
- 2 min read
When Nakeisha first arrived in Canada, she didn’t know how to ride a bike.
New country. New culture. New everything.
What she did have was courage, the kind that shows up quietly and grows with the right space. Trips for Kids Ottawa became that space: a place where she could belong, make friends, and grow as an individual.
Nakeisha came to Trips for Kids Ottawa unsure but willing to try. In no time at all, she learned to ride.
And then she soared.
Trail after trail, she embraced the freedom of moving through green spaces, breathing fresh air, laughing alongside friends. What began as learning a skill quickly became finding joy and belonging.
She loved the program so much that she didn’t keep it to herself. She invited others in. Because of her genuine enthusiasm and encouragement, our learn-to-ride and trail riding programs grew. Since then, we have consistently welcomed at least ten girls learning to bike each season, alongside steady growth across our other bike programs, inspired by Nakeisha’s leadership and example.
Then came skating.
Once again, she stepped into the unfamiliar. She found her stride. She fell in love with the flow of gliding across the ice, and once again, she brought her peers with her. Our skating programs grew as more youth felt encouraged to try, inspired by her confidence and support.
Along the way, she naturally became a peer monitor, one of those moments we treasure most as an organization. Leadership that rises organically. Confidence that is shared, not claimed.
Now, in her final year of high school, Nakeisha has returned to TFKO as a co-op student. In the video accompanying this post, you’ll see her calmly and confidently teaching others how to care for their skates after a session. She speaks with poise. She moves with assurance. She belongs in front of the group.
Over the years, Nakeisha learned through biking and skating that falling wasn’t failure; it was part of learning. What mattered was getting back up, because staying down meant never discovering what she was capable of. That mindset stayed with her in everything she did, teaching her to keep going even when things felt hard. It gave her the confidence to try out for rugby and to run for student council.
Most importantly, TFKO was a bridge between who she was when she arrived and who she is becoming.
A bridge to community.
A bridge to confidence.
A bridge to wellbeing and an active life.
We are so proud of the young woman she is, and deeply grateful to have ridden and glided alongside her journey. Her story reminds us why we do this work — and what becomes possible when young people are given the tools, the trust, and the space to grow.
