Fwd: Tomorrow is #WomensMTBDay!

[Sean Hearne]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: David Wiens <executive...@imba.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 12:12 PM
Subject: Tomorrow is #WomensMTBDay!
To: Sean Hearne <shaolin...@gmail.com>

Dear Sean, There’s something special about women riding together. I can’t pretend to understand it or explain it myself. Susan’s post-ride glow after a day riding with other women is just different. While I wouldn't dare invite myself, I do offer to pack the snacks. They never take me up on a batch of my trail-side specialty—a ham and cheese sandwich with jam and jalapenos. Tomorrow is #WomensMTBDay, a day to celebrate riders who identify as women and share the stoke for mountain biking. I hope you can enjoy the trails with a daughter, a neighbor, a partner or a friend. It’s not a day that’s women only, simply women first. Someday soon we hope to see as many women as men out on the trails on any given day. Let’s get there together by welcoming and celebrating all women who ride, tomorrow and every day. We asked our IMBA Local Partners about the women who make trails happen close to home. These are just a few of the dozens of stories we received of local leaders who are an inspiration in communities across the country. We’ll feature many more on Facebook and Instagram in May.

Ester Song with Mount Wilson Bicycling Association   Ester (she/her) is a Board Director with MWBA, and an organizing member of the Altadena Town Council’s Safe Streets Committee. She helps maintain sustainable multi-use trails in Southern California’s Angeles National Forest, and works in collaboration with the committee and council members to advocate for safe and complete streets for all users visiting and living in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, home to several popular trailheads. “Whether on dirt trails or paved paths, riding gets my gears turning with solutions on the bike from carrying equipment to transportation and trail improvements. Active transportation and accessibility to trails, parks, and public spaces are essential for equality, health, and safety for the greater community.”

Mary-Anne Swanstrom with SORBA-Hunstville   Mary-Anne (she/her) has been helping her Alabama mountain biking community “practically since the day she first sat on a mountain bike!” She is the current Board Vice President of SORBA and previously served as the SORBA-Hunstville President. Through trail work volunteering, she and her husband Richard built one of the most beloved trails on the local mountain, named after their pup Daisy. She is just as happy to ride with the newest of riders, or to kick it up a notch and help riders overcome their fears on more technical terrain. Mary-Anne is the pedaling force steering some of the most fun mountain biking events in the south.

Juntu Oberg with Northwest Trail Alliance   Juntu (she/her) learned to ride a bike in her mid-30’s when her boyfriend, now husband, introduced her to the greatest sport on earth. The NWTA women’s riding group propelled her interest in the sport, and after a year she became a ride leader. Juntu’s involvement with NWTA has continued to grow from a Board Director to now becoming the first woman of color to lead Northwest Trail Alliance, the largest trail advocacy and stewardship nonprofit in Oregon.

Brenda Gonzales with the South Texas Off Road Mountain Bikers    Brenda (she/her) has been riding mountain bikes since she was a young girl with her father. She has been involved in the San Antonio mountain biking community for years and first became involved with STORM through volunteer trail building, trail maintenance, and group rides. She’s served on the STORM board of directors in several roles. As a board member, she has pushed the organization to become more diverse and participate in community outreach efforts with other trail user groups and in underserved areas lacking trail access. Brenda has been instrumental in working with San Antonio Parks & Recreation to develop plans for trails.

Thank you for all you do for trails!

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