Walk, Bike, Roll to School Day aims to get kids active and promote pedestrian safety. And just before sunrise Friday morning, one public school in Richmond had a particularly special version of the day with help from a beloved principal.
Parent Fernando Avila said he was excited to lead a pack of over 100 students and their parents on a bike ride to school Friday morning.
“This year hits different because of what happened to Mr. Muzik," Avila said. "We’re so happy to have him back, see him every day, walking about school.”
Greg Muzik is the principal of Mary Munford Elementary. An avid bike rider, the 76-year-old has been head of the West End Richmond school for about 30 years, Muzik was badly injured in a collision with an SUV during a ride earlier this year. But he’s made an incredible recovery, and he was out there to greet kids as they walked into class Friday morning.
I asked him what keeps him coming back.
“The teachers, parents and kids; it’s a great place to work. You look at what happened today, and there’s hundreds of kids riding their bikes to school," he said. "It’s great to see that.”
His recovery may be considered miraculous by some, and while he’s back on his bike these days, it’s far less than the nearly 20 miles a week he used to ride. And he has feedback for the city on its bike lane maintenance: “Well, they have a long way to go.”
"There are branches that are too low, there’s junk in the sidewalk you got to go around," he added. "But I think they’re moving in the right direction.”
As for advice for parents and kids who may be afraid to have their kids ride their bikes to school in the wake of his own crash?
“Those kinds of things are flukes," Muzik said. "It’s really building patience and understanding in drivers.”
Many kids, including Sebastian Avila, Fernando’s fourth grade son, were more than happy to get back on their bikes.
“I’m really excited cause there’s going to be lots of people here I can ride with,” he said.
Also in attendance for the special event was Richmond First District City Councilman Andrew "Gumby" Breton. Munford is in his district and his kids attend the school. He said the only thing better than seeing Muzik back with students was seeing those same students ride their bikes to school.
“It’s a great way for kids to practice their mental health, physical health and to start to prepare them for a healthy, autonomous lifestyle,” Breton said.
