How RLG Inspires the Next Generation of Female Mountain Bikers
Written by RLG Ambassadors Bella Caswell and Madeleine Pollock
What Ride Like a Girl is in their own words: “RLG began as a way to create connection and community among young female mountain bike athletes. Started by former professional mountain bike racers as a means of nurturing a community of young up and coming riders, RLG is designed to inspire, connect, and contribute to the growth of the cycling community. By providing mentorship and guidance from exceptional female riders and industry representatives, RLG Athletes have the opportunity to grow as riders and individuals, taking their riding and personal development journey to the next level. RLG operates in British Columbia, Canada.”.
Photo by Becca Beaton, Rider is Ella MacPhee
Photo by Bella Caswell, Rider is Becca Beaton
THE PICNIC IS BACK!
Since Covid, life hasn’t been the same and we all know that. So imagine a group of stoked, female athletes, that are seeing each other for the first in a while, or maybe the first time ever in person. I don’t know about you, but all I'm imagining is a bunch of huge smiles- and that's exactly what the 2022 Crankworx Ride Like A Girl picnic was! Getting to see the incredible team of athletes, ambassadors and mentors that make up our team at RLG is truly heartwarming. Having the opportunity for all of us to be together, sharing our stories of the year and finally having the chance to be together in person. Ride Like A Girl (RLG) is so much more than developing athletes, it's about developing people as a whole. Being a support system for the podium races or the “DNF’s”. From nutrition meetings, mechanical training, mental health, injury prevention, and so much more, RLG teaches it all.
Photo by Bella Caswell
Photo by Bella Caswell
Photo by Bella Caswell
WHO DO THE RIDE LIKE A GIRL ATHLETES LOOK UP TO?
Every person needs someone to look up to. Whether the role model is a parent, a celebrity, or an older sibling, having this is crucial in the development of a person’s self-esteem. As mountain biking is often considered a male dominated sport, it is super important for women to see other female-identifying people doing their sport. This isn’t just limited to sport, though, having role models creates a much larger sense community, and a more inclusive environment, regardless of the situation. Ride Like a Girl is based on that concept; women need to inspire one another to create change.
We asked some of the Ride Like a Girl athletes to list female idols they look up to. If you want to discover some cool women creating change or just being awesome, then take a look at the list with Instagram handles below:
P!nk (@pink): “She has a lot of resilience and I like how open she is about what she deals with. It shows people that even famous people (people that look like everything is in their favour) have troubles too.” -Ayva
Tahnee Seagrave (@tahneeseagrave): “She speaks openly about both the mental and physical side of riding. She also shows that you don’t have to be like every other biker and can do your own thing :)” -Becca + Sabina
Emmy Lan (@emmy.bikes): “She’s a local shredder from the Comox Valley and continues to inspire me!” -Jade
Catharine Pendrel and Clara Hughes (@cpendrel and @claraannehughes): “They are both amazing-down-to-earth humans, as well as Olympians and inspiring athletes.” -Marin
Jolanda Neff (@jolandaneff): “I love her positive and happy demeanor, and how she is always smiling, even on the start line.” -Gemma
“Kelsey Serwa (@kelseyserwa), Kelli Sherbinin (@kellisherbinin) , and my mom (@sarahfentontippie)!” -Jessamy
Julia Long (@julia_long.99): “She’s the coolest person I know on and off the bike. She's humble but fast as f, she works hard but has fun and she’s got some sick tattoos.” -Emmy
What do these people have in common? First, they all identify as female. This is a list of badass chicks who not only battle adversity, but also inspire while doing so. Second, they are changemakers. They all use their voice for something, some to do with sports, others not. And third, they have made an impact on somebody in the RLG community. And that is pretty special!
Photo by Bella Caswell, Rider is Ayva Gaudet
Photo by Sara Kempner, Rider is Kimberley Chen
BIKING IS MORE THAN JUST RACING
To the Ride Like a Girl family, biking means many things. We asked some of the RLG athletes to describe biking in one word. Here are a few of our favourite answers: balance, outlet, freedom, community, calmness, experiences, happiness, and fun.
As the authors of this newsletter, Bella and Maddi wanted to share a little bit of what biking means to them.
Photo by Becca Beaton
Photo by Deniz Merdano
Words by Bella Caswell
My name is Bella Caswell and seeing the deeper meaning of riding resembled through these athletes makes me so happy, as sometimes it can get washed away when racing is in full force. Personally, I had no choice but to realign my values with biking when I was told racing (and at the time, riding too) wasn’t possible in my future anymore due to injury. From hearing that news, I felt as though my identity was being taken away, but little did I know, it would make the roots of my identity even stronger.
I initially got into biking for the willingness to learn and progress, and of course the fact that I lived in a household of bikers played a big role too. For the community and experiences that brought an instant smile to my face and the others it surrounded when we were all pedaling through the forest. There aren’t many sports out there where racers are equally as stoked if your friends/competition wins the race, but biking is definitely one of them. We acknowledge the hours of training, risk and sacrifices each and every one of us has had to endure in order to perform while in between the tape. So now when I think about the doctor telling me I am no longer a racer, that is simply not true. Sure I might not be able to be the one on my bike at the start gate, but I will always be a member of the community. Whether that is through photography, or the loudest cheering girl in the finish line. Mountain biking is so much bigger than racing. To me, biking means support.
Photo by Louis Charland
Photo by Wes Pollock
Words by Madeleine Pollock
My name is Madeleine Pollock, and I’m from North Vancouver, BC. I first started mountain biking when I was about five years old. My dad would race me up to the trailhead, and I would cry for most of the ride down. I found the challenge of mountain biking daunting, and going fast unattainable. The thing that bothered me the most, though, was that none of my female friends wanted to go riding. I didn’t see very many girls out on the trails, so I felt very intimidated when I rode with the boys. When I was 13, I joined Ride Like a Girl and my world changed. I not only had new female friends to ride with, but I also had female role models who were more than willing to share their sport with me. I had races to travel to as well.
In February 2022, I suffered a bad concussion from a bike crash on my local trails. I couldn’t ride for a long time, and I didn’t go to school for a month. Although this was a horrible experience (0/10, would not recommend it), it made me realize how strong the mountain bike community really is. After the accident, I was extremely moved by the outpouring of support from the cycling community. The accident made me realize and appreciate that biking is a lot more than racing, cool tricks, and fancy kits.
To me, biking means growth. It means that I can always improve on my skills, expand a community, or inspire more people. It means that I can grow through injury, and I can grow as a person.
