Forever A Junior!

 Above is a photo of me in 2005; I was 10 years old.  I was doing a charity ride with my dad called 24 Hours of Booty, then, it was a fairly small event where the cycling community came together to raise money for cancer.  Now, it brings together the whole community of Charlotte and people from around the nation, raising money for cancer and awareness of bikes in the Charlotte area!

You might notice I have a stars and stripes jersey on, maybe someone passed down to me, and I wasn't a national champion then, but I dreamt about it.

Eight years later, I am capping off my final year as a junior.  Never did I imagine winning 5 national jerseys, obtain a national track record, and a handful of medals.  With the help of so many people like Robin Farina, Uptown Cycles, NOW Pro Cycling team and of course my parents, I am able to have achieve so much in just the start of my career.

They, among many others, have helped me achieve my dreams and now I move from the big fish in a small pond to a shrimp in the ocean!

Above is the podium for the 2k Individual Pursuit at the Junior Track National Championships last week. 

 The next day, I competed in my last National Championship event as a junior with the women's team pursuit with Alexis Ryan and Nadia Latzgo.  I pulled on my 5th jersey with excitement, and remembering all the hard I have put on and off the bike to become a National Champion.

 I stepped off the stage with joy and a bit of sadness, knowing it was my last Junior Nationals.

 Because so many people have helped me through the years, why not inspire/ mentor as many young girls as I can?  Isabella Brookshire from Asheville, NC starting her scratch race (10-12 age group).

She is a champion in the making, winning 3 bronze medals this week!

Above, keeping her calm before she starts the 500m Time Trial.

 On the last night, I decided to make and event for junior women by getting as many junior women who were competing at the championships to celebrate success by having an Ice Cream Party at a local creamery shop.  About 15-20 girls showed up and we enjoyed the night talking and sharing experiences of bike racing, school, and  much more!

 It was a great feeling to have all the competitors together making friendships, eating ice cream, and having a really good time.  I encouraged all the girls to train hard for next year and come back to T-Town, PA and have another ice cream party!

I hope to impact some one's life where they can be inspired to be a champion, not matter if they win medals or not!

My good friend and 2011 Track World Championships team mate, Jen Valente.  She won the the 2011 Junior Scratch World Championships, a true world class athlete. We chatted all night about how we can encourage young girls to race their bikes, have fun, and become champions.  We want to change junior women's cycling for the better by showing how dedicated we are to the sport, how hard we are willing to work and how we want to grow the sport for girls!

Great ideas to come! I may be leaving the junior field as a racer, but I will never leave the junior field as an ambassador!

What am I doing now?

I am currently at Mars Hill, NC for the Mars Hill junior cycling camp.  I am a camp counsellor, here, empowering kids the potential this sport gives and teaching kids how to be a great bike racer.  In the past, I have been to so many junior camps, as a camper.  Now, being a counsellor, it feels so different, but I love the role!

  Isabella Brookshire (age 12) and Sophia Brodwell (age 13)  are getting ready for the first group ride together!

Most of the juniors of the camp.  So exciting to be able to mentor the next generation of US cycling! 24 boys and 4 girls!

Stay tunned for more junior cycling camp updates! Thanks for reading!