The 2018 Tuck Fest Enduro in North Carolina was my very first mountain bike (mtb) race ever. At the age of 61  3/4, I decided to engage in a more challenging lifestyle. My goal is not to beat anyone, nor others my age. It is to have fun, to improve my health, and to encourage all seniors (and people of all ages) to find a physical passion – a way to move their bodies to benefit their health and their lives, in general.

 

If I happen to win races, that is just icing on the cake. Being more involved (racing) will help me to “stay in it” (my motto) for life. My other great passion is animal welfare.  My Rescue Racing Team membership allows me to advocate for both causes.

This first Enduro race was pretty scary for me. Not so much the preparation, registration and getting to the race venue. But, as other mtb’rs gathered at the top of the mountain to line up at the separate staging points, I became very nervous. Unwelcome thoughts like;  why are you here, you’re too old to be here, this is for kids/young people, you’re too slow, you’re too wrinkled! These, and the many other negative thoughts, are the greatest challenges to overcome.

Young women do not have the same mindset that senior women have. I grew up during a time in which any serious thought of females competing in sports, especially male-dominated sports, was frowned upon by many.

Sadly, we girls who loved sports – many who were born with that DNA makeup and genetics – had our very passions, and God-given desires totally crushed. It brought on a sense of hopelessness and damaged our spirits. Those were the days, as they say.

Young girls and women today are able to enjoy a newly paved road set before them. They are generally told that they can do anything. And, men are much less likely to discriminate against women these days. If they do, they are swiftly knocked off of their feet. Dare they even hint that females are less worthy of competing or entering any sport they so choose to? There is still room for improvement to be made in women’s sports but, we’re a far cry from those times.

Our adversary loves to discourage, tear us down, and will try to do everything to defeat us. However, this adversary can just eat my dirt because, I serve only one Master and, with Him, I can do all things. I am staying in it!