First Aid course

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were faced with a medical emergency whilst out on a ride? I know some of you have had to deal with situations whilst on our weekly rides and it can be a pretty scary experience. Jennie J took the excellent initiative earlier this year to source a cycling specific First Aid course that could be offered to our members. And best of all - CUK have funded it!

8 riders did the course in the spring and it was such a success Jennie arrange another course a few weeks ago which I attended.  Our trainer for the day was Jen Craven who runs Wimbledon First Aid. As a cyclist herself she perfectly understood our needs and tailored the learning to situations we were likely to encounter on a ride.

Jen proved to be a great trainer and placed a lot of emphasis on not immediately diving into a situation, but pausing to assess first using the DRABC (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation) mnemonic. We returned to this when discussing almost all medical emergencies. Jen knows our riding territory well and had an excellent idea should an accident occur around a blind corner: place a bike with a bright coloured jacket draped over it to warn any oncoming vehicles or riders that there was a casualty on the road. 

Perfecting our CPR skills occupied a good part of the course. Jen uses dummies that light up when you are using the correct technique. Many of  the group found it surprisingly exhausting giving effective CPR for a prolonged period of time.

She  highlighted the importance of locating a defib quickly and having the locator app What 3 Words and medical info on our phones for a helper to find should we be unable to give this information. I have  now set up the Apple Health app with emergency contact numbers and any medical issues that can be accessed quickly from the locked screen. 

We now have a total of 20 riders with First  Aid training in the club. If CUK funds allow, hopefully we will be able to offer this course to our members again next year.  Jennie is looking to hold the next one in spring 2025 so keep a look out on the blog (or mention it to Jennie or me) if you are interested in taking part. 

Being faced with a medical emergency can be challenging, especially if it happens in a remote and isolated location. Following the course I think we all felt more confident to deal with a potential situation and give some emergency care. I felt I learned a lot despite having done First aid training in the past. Techniques (particularly CPR) have changed considerably over the years so even if you have done some training this course is great refresher. 

Sue F