Since I started my biking journey, from a young age, I have appreciated the lessons I have learned, and the growth I have endured from them. One of the main lessons I have learned, to grow the most from, is embracing my own uniqueness on the course and in my life. In mountain biking, it is very easy to get pulled into cool trends, and match with everyone else. Although new kits and new bikes can be exciting to get, it is more important to focus on being yourself in this sport.
For years, I dealt with feeling “slower” than everyone else at practice, because I grew up being in the hospital and working through recovery from many surgeries. I would see all of the other kids at practice riding around and having so much fun jumping on their bikes, but I felt like being apart from that fun made me “slower”. But as I worked harder, I started to gain more confidence in my skills and capabilities. I started to realize that it did not matter how fast I was at the time, but it was the time and effort that was put into my training. After I stopped worrying about others I started to have more fun riding around on the Michigan trails.
Switching from riding casually to racing was another way for me to embrace my uniqueness. Many were concerned for how young I was when going to these intense races, but I felt the need to start putting my skills to use. Personally I really was looking forward to being so young and racing. ESPECIALLY AS A GIRL!! There were definitely many challenges to racing, like the other riders, taking risks, and dealing with the new courses. Racing as a girl was an opportunity to be unique.
Throughout my 11 years of biking, I have learned that being in a community of racers is the easiest way to embrace yourself. Joining a biking club or a mountain bike race team can help you to find your place in the community. Ever since I was invited to join the McLains Stonehound race team I have felt so excepted for being myself. Riding with a big group of people can seem like you are all one person, which you are, but you also are your own self. Being part of McLains helped me to understand that being a female in mountain biking is one of the best sports a girl could do, and it also showed me that being myself in front of others is okay!
So to all of the many cyclists out there, I encourage you to embrace your own skills to the fullest abilities, and to become the strongest version of yourself by standing up for what is true to you. Never give up on your plans and goals in life and on the course, and train hard to accomplish the best race at Iceman 2024.
Thank you to our 2024 Junior Iceman Ambassador Piper Shumar @pipershumar