Jools Walker facts for kids

Jools Walker is an English cyclist, TV presenter, and author. Her first book, Back in the Frame, came out in May 2019. She is known for sharing her experiences with cycling.

Early Life and First Bikes

Jools Walker grew up in Canning Town, which is in east London. Her very first bike was a cool 'metallic green trike'. Later, she rode a BMX bike that her older brother fixed up for her. He also taught her how to ride it.

However, Jools stopped cycling in her late teens. She mentioned that some unkind comments she heard while riding to school made her want to cycle less.

Jools Walker's Career

Starting Velo-City Girl

In 2010, Jools started her blog called Velo-City Girl. This happened after she bought what she called 'the bike of my dreams'. It was a Pashley Princess bike. She bought it using a special program from her job at the University of East London. This program helps people buy bikes for commuting.

TV and Cycling World

In 2012, Jools joined a company that makes cycling clothes, called Vulpine. She worked there as an operations manager. Around the same time, she started presenting on The Cycle Show for ITV4. On the show, Jools led many features. These included the yearly vintage cycling event, l'Eroica festival.

She also appeared on the BBC's Newsnight. On this show, she talked about cycling culture. Jools was also featured in an online magazine called La Fuga. This magazine is about the cycling industry. In 2015, Bike Biz magazine named her one of their '100 Women of the Year'. This showed how important she was in the cycling world.

Promoting Diversity in Cycling

In 2018, Jools started working with the London Bike Kitchen. They began regular cycling meet-ups for Women of Colour. She realized that one reason she had stopped cycling was not seeing people like her.

Now, Jools often talks about the need for more diversity in cycling. She wants to see more people from different backgrounds riding bikes. She also speaks about the things that stop Women of Colour from getting into cycling.

Cycling and Well-being

In 2016, Jools Walker faced a health challenge. Her book, Back in the Frame, talks about her life experiences. She shared in an interview that she wants to inspire others. She said, "I’m not trying to be the poster child for what cycling can do for you, but in my book I try to use the experiences that I’ve had on and off a bike, and turn it all into a positive.”

In May 2019, a part of her book Back in the Frame was published in The Daily Telegraph. Her story shows how cycling can help people overcome challenges and find joy.