All Kids on Bikes with Denise Aquino

All Bodies on Bikes

What does it take to instill confidence and courage in young riders? This week, Marley and Maggie sit down with the Executive Director of El Grupo Youth Cycling, a Tuscon based nonprofit that is empowering youth through bicycles.

Denise brings 10+ years of nonprofit experience in sport based youth development, with 3 years as a collegiate rowing coach and 3 years as a middle school rowing coach. All of her work is grounded in socio-economic accessibility and racial equity, eliminating financial barriers to the transformative power of sport.

Her 2022 work was featured in the Boston Globe, Sport Gazette (UK), World Rowing, and NLRoei (Netherlands Rowing). In the same year, her podcast was nominated by Diversity in Aquatics.

Denise holds a Master’s Degree in Youth Studies (focusing on youth development), and is a proud daughter of Philippine immigrants. She is proud to call herself a queer, woman of color, so that all youth, regardless of identity, can feel they can take up space and experience the transformative power of sports.

Having joined El Grupo in June 2023, she looks forward to growing El Grupo while grounding it in its mission - to empower youth through bicycles.

El Groupo Youth Cycling

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