As we put the finishing touches on this edition of RIDE HIGH, I find myself reflecting on the recent UEFA EURO 2020 football championships. What a competition it was!

After a prolonged period of on-off lockdown, the sheer presence of crowds in the stadia was enough to lift the spirits – a coming together of people and passion that was made even more special by the fact it had been so long coming. But being a Dane, this tournament was a particularly emotional one. I’m referring, of course, to the match against Finland, where our midfielder Christian Eriksen – aged just 29 – collapsed on the pitch having suffered a cardiac arrest. The story thankfully had a happy ending, but the event sent tremors across our nation. The impact on the team was perhaps even more marked. All of a sudden, they were playing for Eriksen. The supercharged team spirit was palpable, their performance a masterclass in the power of shared purpose. They may not have won the tournament, losing to England in the semi-final, but they won hearts and brought great pride to our country.

I see certain parallels in the world’s response to COVID. In the face of adversity, of lives and livelihoods lost, we – families, colleagues, organisations, entire nations – have pulled together to confront the challenges. In the feature Inspired by COVID, we share just a handful of the stories that have emerged from our own hard-hit sector – tales of innovation and shared purpose that have seen teams survive and even thrive in times of crisis. We hope you will find them as inspirational as we do.

As we now move towards that long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel, it feels like the perfect time to unveil a new look and feel for RIDE HIGH magazine. We hope you like it! Combined with BODY BIKE’s recent AAA creditworthiness rating and our exciting new BBCARGO venture, there’s an exhilarating spring in our step as we emerge from a tough 18 months. I don’t normally use this page to talk about our company, but when it gives such optimism for the future of our sector – a sector that since March last year has been united in a common, and quite honestly existential, ba.le – it feels right to share. Right now, I couldn’t be prouder: of the team, our company, my country. Of our sector for standing up to the challenges of the past 18 months and coming out stronger.

Uffe A. Olesen
CEO BODY BIKE International

Will indoor cycling stop being about ‘rhythm vs power’ moving forward? Will studio design have to evolve to meet a new need? The president of Midtown Athletic Clubs shares some early thoughts with Kate Cracknell.

Lockdown caused organisations across the fitness sector to pivot their business models to meet new and emerging needs – but in many cases, the changes are here to stay. We take a look at three initiatives, inspired by COVID but with long-term ambitions, that spotlight the opportunities our sector has seized from the jaws of the crisis.

Should we be building more recovery into and alongside our indoor cycling programming? Kate Cracknell speaks to the experts.

With its clubs now re-open, Virgin Active UK is unveiling a series of signature group exercise concepts, including new cycle classes created by cycle ‘activist’ Sarah-Jane Aboboto. She gives us a sneak preview.

This summer, Apollo Travel Group opened the doors to a new sports and fitness hotel in Greece, hosting the Swedish Winter Olympics team the moment Greek tourism re-opened for business. Apollo Sports’ Daniel Giray speaks to Kate Cracknell.

‘The word impossible’ shouldn’t exist in the dictionary, says indoor cycling enthusiast Nuno Ribeiro. He tells Kate Cracknell why cerebral palsy wasn’t enough to stop him becoming an instructor.

Are you a group exercise instructor with a tired or strained voice, or an operator whose instructors are struggling to be heard in class? Susie Millen, founder of My Vocal Fitness, shares five invaluable tips.

At Integrity Group Fitness Studios in Ballarat, Australia, AV technology is pushed to its limits – and beyond – in a quest to create the ultimate member experience. Its co-founder speaks to Kate Cracknell