BERKELEY, Calif. (BVM) – University of California, Berkeley cycling team member, Crystal Haryanto, rides her road bike, Storm, to help empower others.

A youth leader with World Bicycle Relief (WBR), the 18-year-old UC Berkeley sophomore’s next project is a 40-mile charity ride along the Calaveras Loop for Pedal to Empower — raising funds and awareness of the power of bicycles to help girls in rural areas get to school. The event takes place Saturday, Sept.12.

“For many girls in developing countries, one of the barriers to education is transportation,” Haryanto wrote. “By providing bicycles, we empower these school-aged girls to accomplish their educational goals, fulfill their potential, and eventually break the cycle of poverty.”

Haryanto mentioned that the East Bay back roads along the foothills, and the climb up the Calaveras Wall along the reservoir “simulate how these girls access life-changing education by riding the rural roads in their communities.”

Haryanto was recently appointed community captain of the Cal cycling team. In this role, she will lead the team’s engagement with community events and charity efforts.

Double majoring in economics and cognitive science, she will be studying at home in Berkeley this fall due to the campus shutdown resulting from COVID-19. This gives Haryanto plenty of time to practice her speed, technique, and stamina under the guidance of trainer and family friend, Ryan Goldman — a seasoned cyclist and an ambassador to World Bicycle Relief.

Last February, Haryanto bought Storm, a Specialized Roubaix 2019 bike.

“I was looking for a bike that was not too fancy, a bike I could grow into in a year or two, and something lightweight with great handling,” Haryanto said. “I also bought my first cycling kit there – clothes, gloves, and the bib.”

Haryanto began cycling later than most.

“I was 11 when I learned to ride a bike. … I was a ballerina at 6 years old in a tutu,” she said.

Having spent her childhood and teenage years perfecting her leaps in ballet studios, Haryanto wanted to stay involved in the performing arts. She auditioned for and performed with the UC Berkeley Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS) homecoming play at Zellerbach Playhouse. She also danced with Berkeley Ballet Theater and rehearsed for shows.

“My first year at Berkeley, I had to walk to the engineering campus three times a week, up a hill,” Haryanto said. “It was hot. I thought, ‘there’s got to be a better way to get up this hill!’ So, I got a girlie bike and named her Sapphire Blue.”

When the pandemic hit during the second semester of her freshman year, her planned performances were put on hold. So, she considered it might be time for a serious change and decided to go from being “just a bicyclist to a cyclist.”

The Berkeley hills beckoned with a virtual charity cycling race organized by the Berkeley Bicycle Club. Now ready to hang up her pointe slippers and transition to clip-in shoes, Haryanto found she had a lot to learn.

As with any endurance sport, the road to becoming a pro cyclist takes concentration and concerted effort over many stages. Goldman devised a training plan suitable for a novice cyclist who needed a crash course for the upcoming race.

Haryanto started on flat routes with increasing distance to boost her endurance, working her way to up a 30-mile ride. As her pedaling cadence, climbing, and descending skills improved, she began to conquer the rigors presented by the steep Berkeley hills.

The first time she ascended Wildcat Canyon Road — one of many landmark Berkeley climbs — she had to stop several times to catch her breath. Since then, her climb has improved by 40% with no stops.

During her summer 2020 Berkeley Bicycle Club race, Haryanto launched a campaign to fundraise through her participation. The proceeds benefited the Alameda County food bank and helped East Bay High School cycling leagues buy bikes for students to stay active. She was the top individual fundraiser and placed No. 1 in the youth-under-23 category for both rounds.

For Haryanto, victory isn’t only about placing first.

“When more people can get food on the table and more kids can get bicycles, that’s a win in my book,” she emphasized.

Being home for the semester, she has reconnected with her love of music, too, and is learning to sing.

“I want to improve my voice and I’m working on my larynx,” Haryanto said. “I’m also taking guitar lessons and have gone back to the piano, which I played as a kid. I find it easy to learn to play popular songs.”

Specifically, Haryanto is currently grasping the ins and outs of Taylor Swift’s latest album, “Folkore.” She also performed an amateur cover of “Cardigan” on Instagram.

But ultimately, Haryanto’s new-found love of cycling has kept her busy, and she has come to realize biking goes beyond sport.

“Bikes take you places,” Haryanto concluded. “For some, that’s the mountainside dawn or the coastal sunset. What we often fail to remember is that for many, those places are school, work, or the store.”

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