I wasn’t looking for a new cycling love but that’s usually when IT finds you, right?! Not sure if it was the thrill of a new biking challenge, the striking remoteness, the expanse of the tall prairie grass, the punchy little hills that rolled off endlessly into the horizon, the bucolic farms that dotted the hilly landscape, the vibrant community of Emporia, KS, or the chunks of menacing flint that littered the roads, but it was love at first ride when I set tires on it. I’m talking about gravel, endless miles of it, and in 2013, when I attended my first Unbound 200 gravel, I fell head over heels for this new to me cycling discipline and have been back every year since. Turns out, when you combine passion, place, and pushing your physical limits, it makes for a pretty powerful tonic.
You know what else is powerful? Turning your pedal strokes into positive action at an event that has changed the trajectory of your career, which is exactly what I will be doing this year when I “come out of retirement” to ride the Unbound 200 for something bigger than a podium placing. I’ve spent a lot of years chasing finish lines, but this one is different. As part of the Life Time Foundation’s “Chase the Race” challenge, I will start dead last in the grueling 200-mile race, giving myself one mission: chase down as many riders as possible before the finish because every rider I catch is money earned for a local cause.
The goal: raise $50,000 to support Emporia’s biking infrastructure, including the Whittier Park Pump Track. This space will expand access to riding by giving kids a safe, dedicated place to build confidence and experience the joy of being on a bike. As someone who taught elementary school for 12 years and has witnessed the positive impacts that bikes can have on youth, I’m thrilled to be undertaking this challenge.
Supporters can pledge a dollar amount per rider I pass, turning each position gained into something more meaningful. Every pass I make, fuels something bigger. Every rider I pass turns into a real local impact. Emporia, and the larger gravel community, has played a meaningful role in my cycling journey, so this challenge is my way of giving something back to a place that has become part of my DNA. It’s my way of paying it forward for the next generation of cyclists in a place that’s left an indelible mark on my life.