Pedal power: how cycling tours are helping recovering drug addicts turn a corner in Hong Kong
‘We Cycle’ programme is not only a life-changing experience for participants – those doing the training also benefit
Having had her own struggles with drugs, Lee Man-ying is no stranger to dealing with addiction.
For her, cycling became a ray of hope. Friends, family, sports and helping others are now her top priorities in life.
Every week, the addict turned athlete gears up as a guide to take participants on cycling tours in the North district of Hong Kong.
Her life turned a corner after she completed six months of sobriety at a rehab centre, when the 33-year-old enrolled in a programme called “We Cycle”.
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The initiative is run by Cheer Lutheran Centre to help young drug addicts so that they can be set free from their dark past. Lee and 40 others on the programme share a common bond as they are all recovering drug addicts. Together they underwent more than four months of training during which they were taught cycling skills, basic medical knowledge as well as the history and cultures of the areas along the cycling routes.