Transported: A night of active transport research and storytelling
Active and public transport play a crucial yet underappreciated role in improving physical activity rates and health outcomes in Tasmania.
Even short walks to and from bus stops enable people to stay physically active—dramatically cutting their risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
However, active transport is often talked about as just another way to save money or cut traffic, without considering its vital role in maintaining our health and wellbeing.
To bring this hidden health benefit to public attention, Health by Stealth decided to do something slightly unusual: we initiated a storytelling competition.
Tasmanians of all ages shared their best active transport stories. Their five-minute, spoken-word stories illustrated why they love to bike, walk, or ride.
With funding from Hobart City Council, an award-winning author, Sam George-Allen, was invited to host a storytelling workshop for shortlisted storytellers and MC a night of storytelling.
The event was called, suitably, Transported.
Dr Kim Jose opened the evening to a full house at Waterside Pavilion in Hobart, formally launching our report, Transport for an Active Tasmania.
Then, the seven storytellers, including two primary school children from Launceston, told stories that were variably hilarious, touching, nostalgic, and inspiring.
In scope, they ranged from mountain biking mishaps, to romance and family life aboard a Metro bus; from big-hearted generosity to a stranger, to adrenaline pumping abandon on a daily commute.
Lord Mayor, Councillor Anna Reynolds, handed out the major prize to Kitty Krupp for her moving tale of her earliest memories of a tall handsome man disembarking a Metro Bus.
Metro CEO, Katie Cooper, awarded the people’s choice award to Reena Balding for her story of how international adventurous lead to a healthy obsession with cycling to work.
Rolls Cycles sponsored a youth prize that was awarded to Zachary Cubitt from Launceston Church Grammar School for a hilarious rendition of a fateful mountain biking mishap.
The competition was adjudicated by Donald Reid and Briony Kidd from The Media School and Emily Flies from the School of Life Sciences.
You can watch Reena Balding’s prize winning story below.