Dr. Leszek Sibilski to Receive Trailblazer Award presented by World Bicycle Relief

CHICAGO - July 5, 2016 - PRLog -- On July 11^th, Dr. Leszek Sibilski, former Olympic cyclist, global development thought leader and advocate for bicycles, will receive the Trailblazer Award presented by World Bicycle Relief. The Trailblazer Award is given to an individual that has challenged conventional thinking around the complex issues of poverty, social justice and access and illuminated a new path forward with innovative and bold ideas that have the power to transform millions of lives globally. The Trailblazer Award recognizes an individual whose global point of view and inclusive mindset provides a broad frame of reference to approach entrenched social issues from new perspectives.

World Bicycle Relief is honored to present Dr. Sibilski with The Trailblazer Award for his global advocacy for bicycles and their ability to transform millions of lives worldwide. As an advocate for world mobility and a notable speaker on transportation trends, Dr. Sibilski promotes the bicycle as a powerful agent of change that can provide access to education, health care and economic opportunities. In rural developing areas, access to bicycles can trigger new possibilities for individuals who are severely limited by distance and the lack of transportation options. World Bicycle Relief recognizes the tireless work Dr. Sibilski has done to make this challenge visible to world leaders and global citizens and accelerating us towards the day when distance will no longer be a barrier for anyone.

Directly following the presentation of the Trailblazer Award, Dr. Sibilski will be presenting his insights on how bicycles can help transition people in developing countries out of extreme poverty into shared prosperity. Dr. Sibilski is a supporter and champion of World Bicycle Relief and will discuss its innovative model that helps individuals overcome transportation barriers and use the efficiency and independence a bicycle brings to improve their lives. Dr. Sibilski will also share his personal stories about the role bicycles can play in creating change.

In the developing world, distance prevents children from attending school, the sick from receiving care, and entrepreneurs from earning enough to feed their families. Compared to walking, children and adults with bicycles are able to reduce their commute times by up to 75 percent. As a result, they have more time to study, are more productive, and experience less fatigue. With a bicycle, entrepreneurs can now travel four times further, carry more goods and increase profits up to 50 percent. In schools where students were given bikes, attendance rates rose by an average of 28 percent and academic performance improved by up to 59 percent. Healthcare workers on bikes have also been able to visit more than twice the number of patients per day.

Dr. Sibilski will be speaking at World Bicycle Relief/ SRAM headquarters on July 11^th at 6pm. The President of World Bicycle Relief, Dave Neiswander, will be moderating a Q&A with Dr Sibilski following the presentation at 6:30pm. Doors open at 5:30pm for networking. For more information, please visit: wbr.bike/298MswN

About Dr. Leszek Sibilski:

Dr. Sibilski is a Professor of Sociology and a contributor to The World Bank Group and The United Nations. He is also a longtime advocate for issues related to climate change, the environment, family, public policy, global poverty, youth, and role of women in contemporary society. He has worked with several other major global organizations to improve the status and plight of athletes with disabilities in developing countries. For his service on behalf of athletes with disabilities, Dr. Sibilski received awards from the Mayors of New York City and the City of Boston as well as from the Chinese Federation of Persons with Disabilities. He also received the Leo Foley Award for Outstanding Educator at Catholic University of America in 2007.Dr. Sibilski earned a master's degree in Education and Sport Science from the Academy of Sport and Physical Education in Poznan, Poland. He earned his Ph.D., in Sociology in Social Inclusion and Social Movements from the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland.

About World Bicycle Relief:

Founded in 2005, World Bicycle Relief mobilizes people through The Power of Bicycles®. World Bicycle Relief accomplishes its mission by distributing specially designed, high quality bicycles through philanthropic and social enterprise programs. These purpose designed bikes are built to withstand the challenging terrain and conditions in rural, developing areas. Entrepreneurs use the bicycles to increase productivity and profits. Students attend class more regularly and their academic performances improve. And, health care workers visit more patients in less time, providing better, more consistent care. World Bicycle Relief also promotes local economies and long-term sustainability by assembling bicycles locally and training field mechanics to service the bicycles.  To date, World Bicycle Relief has delivered over 299,000 bicycles and trained over 1,000 field mechanics in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America.

For more information, please visit: http://worldbicyclerelief.org Follow us @PowerOfBicycles and Like us at facebook.com/worldbicyclerelief

World Bicycle Relief Media Contact:

Brooke Slezak

brooke@brookeslezak.com

press@worldbicyclerelief.org

  Mobile: 917.689.6024