Oh Hai there 2020! I'm a Pro Cyclist now =)
Photo by: Jeff Clark
Since folks seem to be getting back to work today, I guess it makes sense to let y’all know what work looks like for me this year.
I’m happy to announce that I’ve signed on for another year with Liv Cycling.
According to the contract I signed. I am a professional road cyclist. I did it. I am here!
A few words about the path that got me to this place, along with some things I’ve said along the way.
"My biggest mission is representation," she says. "I want to see an expansion of how we see ourselves.” ESPN.com 2018
When I started this journey, I had no idea what I was doing, a very narrow scope of what success looked like, and very few resources to get there. I had ambition, determination, and the right amount of stubbornness to keep going whenever things got tough. People would call, and interview me, and I’d do my best to answer their questions. They were more interested in the part about me going pro, I knew this, but I was more interested in using their platforms to talk about representation and make folks aware of the serious lack thereof in the cycling industry/ race scene.
“I've never felt discriminated against in the racing community. I don't feel like it's a community of racism. But I do feel like it's just not something that's being considered. People just aren't thinking about it.” VICE.com 2015
While I wouldn’t say I was naive to the possibility of discrimination, I was always honest about my experiences. Sadly, those experiences became more frustrating over time. The more vocal I was, the more I was faced with folks who were cruel, passive-aggressive, and sometimes downright racist. Microaggressions add up over time and there have been points where these interactions put me in some serious states of depression. It’s not something I talk about often, but it happens, and it really sucks. I’m so thankful to the folks in my village who pulled me out of those places and helped me continue forward.
“Sometimes I wonder if I will I get left behind. OutsideOnline.com 2018”
I’m pretty confident at this point that I have achieved a better version of whatever it was I set out to do in the first place. I am in a space where I get to race professionally, advocate for better representation for POCs (with a focus on womxn of color), and get paid to do both. I won. This means I won’t be on a traditional road team, at least for now, but looking at the current state of women’s racing that’s clearly not the best option for me at the moment. I’d most likely be required to give up my autonomy, scale back my advocacy, and race without individual financial support (meaning paying my bills/ continuing my advocacy work would be nearly impossible).
So what does this all mean? What’s the deal? What happens next?
This year I will race for Liv Racing supplemented with guest racing opportunities at larger team events.
Races with Liv Racing:
Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, AZ)
Tour of the Southern Highlands (Woodstock, GA)
Sea Otter Classic (Monterey, CA)
Speedweek* (Southeast)
Cascade Stage Race (Bend, OR)
Tulsa Tough (Tulsa, OK)
Harlem Skyscraper Classic (Harlem, NY)
Steamboat Gravel Race (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Guest riding goals:
North America
Redlands
Joe Martin
Winston Salem
Gatineau
Colorado Classic
Europe
Ladies Belgium Tour
Tour de Feminin
Tour de Bell Isle en Terre
Tour d’Occitanie in Europe
I would love to race a few stage races abroad this year if possible. I can get myself there, and bring my own gear, I just need a spot! If you know of anyone looking for riders, please let me know how I can apply (sometimes these opportunities and application deadlines can easily slip beyond my radar so a shout would be much appreciated).
Last year was a big year for me. My 2019 goal was to get a top 20 in a UCI race, I did that, and managed top 10 as well. I also traveled a ton, met a lot of amazing people, gave away two new bikes, fell in love with mountain bikes, delivered some impactful keynotes and workshops, re-discovered that CX is NOT my jam, tackled my first bikepacking trip, experienced a few rides at the CCC-Liv training camp and more. This was made possible largely with the support of Liv Cycling.
More on my 2020 partnerships with SRAM, CTS, ClifBar, Spot Accident Insurance, Bike Flights, 100%, Kika Stretch Atlanta, and Amp Human PR Lotion in the coming days. stay tuned!
Last year was incredible, but this year I plan to take it up a notch (as always). Non-racing fun stuff is also on the calendar! You’ll just have to wait and see what that looks like in the coming months. I promise you, it’ll be good.
