USO Bike Ride: A Whanau United | Chris Te'o

Promoting the health and wellbeing of communities through cycling.

This session will focus on community empowerment through example setting, story-telling, building and strengthening trust and relationships, and encouraging communities to be more open about issues that are preventing whanau in reaching their potential. It will also look at the close relationship with the Cancer Society as a supporter and how their work and messages tie in with the kaupapa of Uso Bike Ride.

About the Speaker:

Chris Te’o

Following the loss of his father to Cancer, Mr Christopher Te’o founded USO Bike Ride in 2011, a cycling whanau that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of communities. Chris was made a member of the NZ order of merit in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2020.

Uso Bike Ride has supported the establishment and sustainability of 6 Bikes in Schools programmes in Porirua. He has raised more than $140,000 to build cycle paths and buy new equipment for these programmes. He is also an NZTA Cycle Skills Instructor and has worked with the training of these students.

In 2012 and 2016 he was part of the leadership team that led the USO Bike Ride Bluff 2 Cape New Zealand Cycle Ride in partnership with the Cancer Society of NZ, with whom they have a strong relationship with in promoting the message of health and wellbeing within Pasifika communities in NZ and abroad.

Uso Bike Ride is now a cycling NZ affiliated club with over 400 members.