"Feel the Wind!" An MTP Intern Shares Her Story of Bicycling, Freedom and Independence

Khedija is a senior at Tyee High School and an avid member of the Major Taylor Project (MTP) bike club. Thanks to funding from foundry10, Khedija is working as an MTP intern this year.

Alissa Lederer, Cascade's King County MTP coordinator, spoke with Khedija about her experience as an MTP participant and now intern. Khedija shed light on her life as a cyclist in South King County, her highlights of bike club, and her goals for upcoming Cascade Bicycle Club rides.

Read Alissa's Q & A to learn more about MTP, the internship experience, and why Khedija encourages others to participate in Cascade’s big rides.

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Alissa: Why did you join the MTP bike club at Tyee?

Khedija: I wanted a bike and I had no way of leaving the house. I wasn’t allowed to take the bus. If I had a bike, that would be a means of transportation for me. MTP kind of gave me my confidence. It helped me see that I can do more than I imagine.

MTP’s event season is about to start with the Ride for Major Taylor, then Flying Wheels, and then STP. Are you doing any event rides this year?

Oh yeah, I’m planning on doing every single event ride there is. I like when we ride with the other MTP schools, because it's people you don’t know, but we come together for one reason: we all like to bike. You have a sense of community.

What did you learn from last year’s Ride for Major Taylor?

I didn’t know it was this huge event with other people who weren’t students. Someone’s bib was, like, number 600! At Tyee’s bike club last year, there weren’t a lot of female riders, so I thought I was going to be the only girl on the ride, but there were so many others. People were there with their kids, too. That’s so cool. And, I’ve actually never been to Vashon Island before that, so it was nice to see that.

What advice would you give to people who haven’t done a Cascade ride?

It’s not as scary as you think. There’s multiple breaks, there’s snacks, it’s physically challenging, but that’s the fun of it. I remember feeling a sense of achievement at the end of Ride for Major Taylor last year.

What does it mean to you to accomplish a ride like that?

In high school, I got so busy with school that I stopped doing most of my hobbies like drawing, painting, and roller skating. I had bad social anxiety. The Ride for Major Taylor brought back my confidence, because I was learning a new hobby, and, in the beginning, I was still struggling! But, I could also see the improvement, which encouraged me to do more.

Do you have goals for this year’s Ride for Major Taylor?

I’m trying to catch up with the fast group! Last time I was with the cool “sightseeing” group.  This year I want to see if I can catch up with the fast riders.

What excites you about riding STP?

It's the waking up, riding the whole day, then going to sleep, waking up and riding again, all the way to Oregon. That’s really cool. That would be my first time in Oregon!

Do you take your bike on the bus or train?

I do. Last summer I was on my bike and the bus almost every day. The 160 bus route was my best friend, bro. It goes to Renton Station, which goes everywhere.

Has biking changed your relationship with commuting?

I actually didn't commute a lot before I got my bike, because I would get off the bus and still have to walk a lot, or I would have to sprint to catch the bus, and if I missed it, I’d have to wait 40 minutes. After I got my bike, commuting became really peaceful.

Has biking and commuting expanded your sense of freedom?

Definitely. It’s not only the fact that I’m older now that my parents let me go out more, it’s also because I’ve made myself familiar with transportation.

What do you do when it’s raining?

I suffer (laughs). I never call my parents to pick me up, even if it’s raining. Rain or sunshine, I’m going to go where I need to go.

Have you been enjoying the MTP internship? 

Yes, very much. I really liked the Seattle Bike Swap. Seeing so many people there was really nice. And all the different types of bikes, too. When I was younger I was always trying to do different sports, but my parents said no, so it was nice seeing little kids there with their parents.

Do you have any highlights from your internship?

Fixing bikes. I feel like knowing how to do bike check-ups should be essential for everybody that rides a bike.

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What do you hope to gain from this internship? 

A lot of the goals that I had for my internship I’ve kind of been doing. Especially being more comfortable riding alone on the roads and leading rides.

How does this internship help with your future goals?

It’s definitely helped me out with independence. At first, my Dad did not like me riding a bike. Now, my Dad is okay with me doing bike club as long as I bring my brothers. For internship stuff, I don’t have to bring my brothers around, and I get paid.

Where do you want to take your bike next?

Now that it’s warming up, I want to go to Alki Beach. I’ve only been one time. I want to take my bike with me while exploring the different places you can go with the new train line, too.

Will biking continue to be a part of your life after high school?

Yes, definitely. I just like wind! Wearing a Hijab, I don’t feel air on the back of my neck a lot. With biking you can go such long distances and feel the wind.

Climate Commitment Act Funding

Major Taylor Project is partly supported with funding from Washington State Department of Transportation through the Climate Commitment Act, which supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at climate.wa.gov