Sahil Singh is our volunteer feature story for this month of September. Athough this was Sahil’s first summer with us, he quickly became beloved by both the volunteers and clients involved with BCMOS’ Adaptive Cycling pilot program. Sahil’s outgoing personality and strong work ethic allowed the program to go off without a hitch!
Unsure of what to do this summer Sahil remarked “I decided that I needed more volunteer hours and […] I thought that the Disability Foundation was really intriguing and something that I hadn’t done before, so I just decided to say yes and start volunteering!”. He added, “I used to do a lot of cycling and ride a lot of kilometers around Vancouver with friends and family […] so when I learned BCMOS is having a pilot program on adaptive cycling, I decided that the program would be a good fit for me.”
When elaborating on what an adaptive cycling volunteer does, Sahil said “We strap in the client, make sure that they are comfortable, and then we guide them through the trails of Pacific Spirit Park. While cycling alongside the participant, we also point out obstacles and show them where to go on the trail. Basically, we are there for support just in case something happens.”
One of Sahil’s favourite clients is a husband and wife team from France. He explained “The husband jogs while I cycle alongside the wife who has a disability. I get to practice my French language skills and they get to work on their English language skills with me!”
Although cycling is Sahil’s main volunteer activity with us, he also helps photograph all of our summer program activities. He said “I started doing photography in 2017, I was doing it as a hobby before but now I’m trying to build up a professional portfolio so I can transition my photography hobby into a career.” He also mentioned that his volunteer photography position at the Disability Foundation has allowed him to gain hands-on knowledge to develop his skills as a photographer. If you’re interested in checking out his photography portfolio, please click HERE.
Sahil offered some words of advice stating, “My advice for anyone who may be interested in volunteering would be if you’re hesitant about it just go there and try it out, even if you’re afraid and don’t know what you’re doing that’s ok! The people there are very welcoming. You will likely learn how to do everything properly by the end of the first day, so just do it!”
You are awesome Sahil! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking so much time out of your summer to come down and volunteer with us at the Disability Foundation. You’re an amazing person who is going to go on to do incredible things. We are lucky to have you on our team.
Connect with Sahil on Facebook or Instagram
Want to become a volunteer with the Disability Foundation, BCMOS, or any of our other affiliated societies? Sign up here.