As a P.E. teacher and all-around active person, I love the Cayman Islands. Year-round activities in our warm climate, under blue skies, are the envy of many, and I’m blessed that my children are growing up in such an idyllic place. There are indeed many ideal advantages, but there’s one key thing missing.
When we visit the U.K. in the summer, we spend a lot of time biking to nearby villages, or walking to the park and as we watch the local children walk and ride their scooters to school, I’m always asked by my kids, “When we get back to Cayman, can we bike to school, Mum?”
Now, if you have a P.E. teacher for a mum, she’s going to make sure you are active, and certainly we have walked to school a few times; we’ve biked too. But as a parent, I’m a nervous wreck on these journeys. This is due to the fact that there is no sidewalk to walk safely to school. A basic fundamental community provision is lacking.
Almost every school on Grand Cayman does not have sidewalks nearby, other than directly outside their premises. It is unsafe to walk or bike to school, and if we were to conduct a survey, I would speculate that the vast majority of all children get to school via car or bus.
Yet we are one of the most affluent countries in the world. We have luxuries and an environment most of the world would want to emulate, but is it surprising that we also have an unfit nation? A nation who drives or is driven everywhere and then wonders why there is an alarming rate of obesity. It’s all about lifestyle. If we pave the way for our children to walk to school, to use their scooters, or to bike and we provide a safe place for runners and people to walk, we can change a mind-set and change the health of the next generation.
One hundred years ago, Caymanians walked everywhere, thinking nothing of a journey of eight to 10 miles on foot. They lived a healthier life than we do now. But the increase in cars and people commuting has led to us all driving even the shortest distances. As our annual marathon date approaches, the number of runners on our roads increases. South Sound is hugely popular, yet incredibly unsafe. When I get ready for a run, one or both of my children often ask if they can bike alongside me. Sadly, it’s simply not safe for them to do so. They then stay at home and I go and run. Shouldn’t they be able to accompany me like they do when we visit the U.K.? To enjoy the outdoors, exercise with me? The answer is simply, yes, they should.
I often run past the little track next to the Truman Bodden complex. Whilst this is a wonderful facility which is popular with walkers and runners alike, don’t they deserve to be able to step out of their own front door and walk or run safely? Why drive somewhere in order to walk or run?
So like any idea to come to fruition, it needs action. Cayman businesses, I am appealing to you to help. National Roads Authority, P.E. teachers, parents, Cayman government and especially those in the Ministry for Sports and Health: Can we please make it safe for us all to walk, exercise and travel around our beautiful island? Simply put, can we please have sidewalks within a two-to-three-mile radius of every school and around residential areas? The U.S. and other countries have a “safe routes to school program.” Can we please pave the way for a healthier future? And make exercise and walking part of our lifestyle and culture once again?
If you are interested in helping, please contact me at [email protected].
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