The next time you don't feel like pedaling to work or school because you're tired, have a headache or worried about the weather, think about Julie Anne Genter.
She's a member of New Zealand's Green Party and Parliament--and perhaps not surprisingly, a cycling advocate. On Sunday, she did something she'd planned on doing: She gave birth to her second child after arriving at the hospital by bicycle.
The way she got there, however, wasn't quite as she'd anticipated. Her original plan was for her partner, Peter Nunn, to pedal a cargo bike with her in the front. But when her contractions started, she realized that she and her hospital bag would add up too much weight. So she "just got out and rode," she explained.
Fortunately for her, the ride to the hospital took only ten minutes. Her daughter, whom she described as "happy and healthy," was born at 3:04 am local time.
The daughter is her second child. She also pedaled to the hospital for the birth of her first child, which resulted from induced labor. That same year, New Zealand's Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, gave birth while in office and brought her three-month-old baby to the United Nations assembly hall.
So, if you're trying to decide whether to ride to work, remember that Julie Anne Genter "wasn't planning to cycle in labor," but did.
