Olympic Cyclist Chris Boardman Highlights UK’s ‘Inactivity Crisis’ After Receiving Honour

Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman has stated that the UK is experiencing an “inactivity crisis.” This warning came as he accepted an honour at Buckingham Palace for his efforts in promoting cycling and walking. The athlete, who is from Hoylake, Merseyside, made these remarks after Princess Anne conferred upon him the CBE on Thursday. Boardman, who secured a gold medal in the men’s individual pursuit cycling event at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, was appointed as Active Travel England commissioner in June 2022. In this capacity, he is responsible for the government’s agency dedicated to making walking, wheeling, and cycling the preferred transport options for people in England. He commented, stating: “It’s important that we recognise that it’s the foundation of a sustainable transport system.” New data from Transport for London indicates that the number of daily cycle journeys in the capital in 2024 had risen to an estimated 1.33 million journeys per day – an increase of 26% since 2019. Boardman, 56, praised these statistics but noted that further work was required to observe the same upward trend across the entire country. He further stated: “It’s been going up and up since 2010 because it’s just an easy way for people to get around.” He added, “We can do that for the whole nation, where we have an inactivity crisis.” Concluding, he remarked, “That would really make a difference – and it doesn’t harm decarbonisation as well.” Earlier this year, Boardman participated in a 550-mile (885 km) ride from Manchester to Paris. During this journey, he visited numerous sports clubs that are leading the way in sustainability, including initiatives to achieve net zero by 2029.