TED talk review

By: Matt Mackay

Shimon Schocken's rides of hope- Shimon Schoken

Rating:******(absolutely inspiring)

I've seen a lot of TED talks but hands down this has to be one of the most intelligent and inspiring talks I've seen Shimon has done an amazing thing with the youth inmates in Israel something that only the outdoors and mountain biking can do. I never saw the potential for so many great lessons to come from mountain biking and the way it is being applied by Shimon is absolutely amazing.

The TED talk is presented by a scientist named Shimon Schoken who is an avid mountain biker. And scientist. The talk explains how one day on a normal bike ride Shimon stops by the youth penitentiary in Israel. He tells the warden of his idea of starting a mountain biking club involving the inmates so that they can learn the same life lessons he did and see the beauty in the country, that they have never seen. In the beginning it was very rocky and frustrating to deal with the youth as they would constantly give up at each climb or become enraged when they fell, they could not deal with frustration. Shimon learning quickly that confrontation and frustration would not lead to any improved results, as this is all the youth have ever known. He understood this and found that staying close even when they wanted to give up completely, yielded results as the boys could finally feel close to an adult. The one breakthrough for Shimon was that the only way they will heal is through love. Through mountain biking Shimon teaches the youth to focus on words like, perspective and teamwork and how they relate to there bike rides. Through this experience the youth learn to love themselves, gain self-respect and key life lessons that mountain biking through some of the most amazing terrain in the world will teach them.

This TED talk has affected me in a big way I have never seen such beauty in something I do so much. I've never seen mountain biking put into such a great perspective that has not only shown me a different side to it, but has also helped many Israeli juveniles heal from there terrible life struggles and gain the life lessons they need to be happy. The relation from something as rugged as mountain biking to so many important life lessons was amazing to me in so many ways i couldn’t believe that these youth grew so much as people from biking, something i take for granted here in Canada. I have gained a very different perspective on mountain biking and will definitely have a much greater appreciation and sense of how free I truly am when I’m pedalling myself through some of the beautiful terrain I see in Canada.

 

I  learned that i don't need to be in some of the most amazing places for biking to feel freedom and see beauty but that it can be anywhere even in the most surprising of places.

Citation: Schockens,Shimon.”Shimon Schocken's rides of hope”.video on TED.com.TED.web.22 January 2013