A brand new narrative is rising in mountain biking the place women and girls take part, excel, and redefine the game’s boundaries. Organizations, athletes, and communities are working to make mountain biking an inclusive, equal-opportunity sport for all.
Kennedy Yanke, a 17-year-old from Temecula, California, is a shining instance of what’s potential.
“My dad rode and raced mountain bikes,” she says. “I needed to strive it as a result of it seemed actually enjoyable.”
She joined the highschool mountain bike workforce whereas nonetheless in center college. Her father, Chris Yanke, signed up as a coach.
“It introduced me out of my shell,” Kennedy Yanke says. “It’s instructing me loads, and the adrenaline of using is simply a lot enjoyable.”
It wasn’t all the time straightforward, although.
Kennedy Yanke’s Journey
“Throughout one in every of my highschool races, I crashed off the primary flip, falling in final place off the beginning,” she says. “I ended up in third place. I realized you want quite a lot of grit and dedication—and never to surrender.”
She didn’t surrender.
“Kennedy centered on her love for the game, even through the unnerving and unpredictable interval when COVID-19 shut down most biking occasions in North America,” Chris Yanke explains. “She knew she needed to work laborious for what she needed. In consequence, she’s made an enduring influence within the Southern California biking neighborhood. She has impressed many younger feminine athletes who admire her humbleness, charisma, unequivocal dedication, and success.”
Impressed by skilled feminine riders like Kate Courtney and Evie Richards, Kennedy has more and more centered on endurance biking occasions.
In 2023, she received the Cactus Cup general three-day race occasion and the Sea Otter Fuego XL (70+ miles) in her age group. She turned one of many youngest feminine athletes to qualify for the Leadville 100 race. She additionally received the Whiskey 50 and positioned third general on the USA Biking Mountain Bike Marathon Nationwide Championships.
Her journey, marked by dedication and household and workforce assist, mirrors the experiences that applications throughout the nation intention to offer for younger feminine riders.
Ladies Experience Collectively
In accordance with the Nationwide Interscholastic Biking Affiliation (NICA), ladies signify simply 20% of its nationwide student-athlete participation. To extend feminine participation, NICA shaped Ladies Experience Collectively (GRiT), a program centered on constructing a neighborhood the place ladies can thrive.
Melissa Davies, NICA’s director of league operations, underscores the initiative’s objective. “We wish all of our student-athlete individuals to be empowered to make their mark on the world round them,” she says. “Whether or not they’re future World Cup execs, lifelong singletrack adventurers, or inspiration for the following technology of ladies riders.”
This system addresses ladies’ distinctive, nuanced wants in sports activities. This contains emotional security, social interplay, a supportive and enjoyable setting, constructive physique photos, ability improvement, cross-age connections, and mentorships.
“I really like that NICA’s programming construction suits all ranges—from those that love taking part in bikes to these attempting to attain one thing athletically within the racing area,” Davies explains. “It coexists in our programming. To me, our magical superpower permits us all to recreate at some stage in our lives.”
One other program, Little Bellas, has 60 applications nationwide. Little Bellas evokes ladies as younger as eight to pursue mountain biking.
Lori Vosacek, program lead and regional specialist in Cuyuna, Minnesota, says Little Bellas’ strategy goes past using. It creates a constructive, encouraging area the place younger ladies can develop, be taught, and develop a love for the game.
“As a fifth-grade trainer, I see a dynamic with ladies. Generally they’ll wait to see what the boys say first,” she says. “And so they don’t maintain again at Little Bellas as a result of it’s all ladies. They really feel extra freedom to be girly, foolish, or not fairly as severe.”
Vosacek says Little Bellas’ individuals are usually much less fearful about using and extra assured than different ladies.
“Our ability practices are genuine, non-threatening, and non-competitive. We ask, ‘Who desires to do this?’ As soon as they’ve achieved it, they’ve extra confidence doing issues on their very own,” she explains. “And it undoubtedly spills over. I can see that ladies in this system are way more assured within the classroom.”
A New Period in Mountain Biking
A Portland State College research reveals that ladies and boys share related attitudes about train and bicycling till age 14. That’s when ladies begin to worry harm and query their athletic skills.
Vosacek acknowledges that worry. “We perceive it, particularly if it’s a lady who has by no means mountain biked. These youngsters typically have some worry. We’re not going to disregard it. We are going to handle it to assist them really feel comfy and assured.”
“The boys get loads sooner as they become old, and it may be form of intimidating being a lady,” Kennedy Yanke says. “I’ve realized to not evaluate myself to the boys. It shouldn’t be one thing that ladies are too involved about.”
Davies is impressed by the allyship at GRiT actions. “We see these rad dads, boys, and allies who need to create an area that feels good to be part of. It provides everybody permission to be part of this initiative.”
Chris Yanke agrees.
“It’s phenomenal to see feminine athletes on this sport. As a coach and Kennedy’s father, I’ve witnessed women and men getting concerned in a sport that enables for a person or a workforce situation,” he says. “They’ve all been positively impacted. It’s undoubtedly one of the vital distinctive alternatives to affix a sport at a younger age. Mountain biking is usually a lifelong passion or aggressive sport that lets you check your self whereas additionally having fun with the satisfaction of your successes and enhancements alongside the way in which.”
The influence of GRiT, Little Bellas, and co-ed interscholastic applications nationwide extends past the paths. These applications instill confidence and a way of neighborhood in younger riders, echoing Kennedy Yanke’s journey from a shy particular person to a assured and outgoing athlete. By means of these initiatives, ladies find out about mountain biking, perseverance, teamwork, and self-belief—classes that resonate in all elements of their lives.
Tales of feminine athletes and the success of initiatives like NICA’s GRiT and Little Bellas are inspiring a new period in mountain biking. “That’s the ability behind the neighborhood we’re constructing,” Davies says. “Extra alternatives in that teenage area carry all the great bodily, social, emotional, and psychological well being that exercise and biking present to people. It’s superb to witness a complete spectrum of ladies discover this lifelong ardour.”
Comply with together with Kennedy’s journey right here.
