Gen Z Speaks: I hurt myself badly after a cycling accident, but the experience kickstarted my entrepreneurial journey
There was a huge unmet demand for bicycle transport in Singapore, as it heads towards a car-lite future, says the author.
I have been an avid mountain biker for years, but up until 2021, I never experienced how painful a biking emergency could be.
But it wasn’t just the pain that I remember most. A year after the accident, I still recall the bitter frustration of being ripped off at a time when I needed help the most.
It all began during one of my regular cycling rides with a friend on a trail in the Bukit Timah area.
For some reason, I messed up a simple roll-down on some rocks, causing me to fall from my bicycle.
I dove headfirst into a rock and the resulting impact cracked my helmet and gave me what was arguably the worst headache of my life.
For a few seconds, I blacked out, not realising what had happened. I was bleeding profusely from a cut on my forehead, and also broke my left wrist while trying to cushion my fall.
My friend had the good sense to bring along a plaster, which helped staunch the bleeding to a certain extent. Together, he helped me hobble my way to a rest area along the trail and to call for an ambulance.
