Marcus Woollen is a prime example of what bicycling can do for your mind, body and spirit. Fifteen months ago, after being declared obese by his doctors, he decided he needed to get healthy and find a way to fit exercise into his busy schedule.
So he tried bike commuting from Jackson Heights, Queens to Hell's Kitchen and loved it. As of May, he's lost an incredible 50 pounds (already five more than when he filmed with us!) and has inspired many friends to start biking too.
Here are some words of advice Marcus has for all of us:
- "New York City is almost ideal for biking - it's pretty flat, and traffic isn't very fast - more like organized chaos."
- "By commuting, I have so much more energy during the day, and I sleep much better than before."
- "Most of the year, I commute in my work clothes. In the summer, I'll wear something cooler, and keep a few sets of clothes in a closet at my office - and have them dry cleaned over the weekend so I can pick them up on Monday morning as I get to work."
- "Riding in the winter is easy - as long as the streets are plowed, I'll go. My biggest mistake at first was wearing too much and overheating - biking keeps you much warmer than waiting on a cold subway platform!"
- "Queens is a great place to ride a bike - with the exception of a few major through streets, there are a lot of quiet neighborhood streets to ride on. The neighborhoods out here are wonderful and incredibly diverse."
Streetfilms would like to thank the Law Offices of Adam D. White for sponsoring this chapter in our My NYC Biking Story.
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">[music]</font> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Marcus Woollen:</i>
[00.12] About a year and a half ago my doctor said I was not only fat,
I was obese, and that was sort of a wake up call. I was trying
to figure out what could I do to make it so that I could get some exercise
into my daily life. I borrowed a bike from a friend one day and
it seemed pretty good here in Queens, so a few days later I went into
the city and I bought a bike, rode it home and I’ve been riding back
and forth to work ever since. The ride takes me about 40 minutes.
My subway commute was also about 40 minutes, so I’m getting an hour
and 20 minutes of exercise every day. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">[music]</font> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Marcus Woollen:</i>
[00:44] When the Daily News did an article on me I thought it was kind
of funny and I had actually gone on vacation so I came home and the
internet had blown up. The article said, you know, I’d lost
30 pounds and as of yesterday I’ve now lost 45 pounds.</font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">[music]</font> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Marcus Woollen:</i>
[00:57] I know of seven people who have since taken up bike riding again
since I started riding. I’m not sure if I’m an inspiration or they
just saw me doing it, it was sort of a catalyst for them to do what
they’d already been planning to do. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [01:08]
Marcus was a real inspiration to me. Last month I went out and
bought my bicycle and I’ve been commuting to work almost every day
since. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [01:14]
It’s been really inspiring to get in shape myself. If he can
do it, I can do too, so I bought a bike and here I am. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [01:19]
I saw how much weight he had lost doing it and it just sounded like
a really fun idea. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Marcus Woollen:</i>
[01:22] One of the bumpy spots in my old commute was riding across Queens
Plaza. Riding a bike was always a bit nerve-wracking, navigating
your way through that, so I’m thrilled this city is finally building
a protected bike and pedestrian path, a way for people to get on and
off that bridge.</font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">[music]</font> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Marcus Woollen:</i>
[01:38] I love riding around the city. I love watching the people,
the buildings, going through the different neighbourhoods, watching
the seasons change, the people change. It’s a really magical
experience. </font> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">[music]</font></p>
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