A few weeks ago, I spent the weekend with about 50 women who I'd never met before. On Saturday morning we all descended on Obsession Bikes in North Vancouver to sign in for our Trek Dirt Series mountain bike camp. Everyone milled around, nervous and excited, most of us not knowing what to expect.
The skill level in the group ranged from beginners to hard-core experienced riders. We were all there to improve our mountain biking skills - or in my case - to acquire some mountain biking skills. One rider described her riding level as "my enthusiasm far exceeds my skill". We were split into groups based on skill level - or lack thereof. My group learned some really basic skills and then quickly advanced to what felt like "real" mountain biking, such as riding skinnies and going over teeter-totters. With each success, we all hooted and hollered and cheered each other on.
Women teach woman very effectively: they understand what we're afraid of, and what tools we need to overcome those fears. When one woman said she was scared to come down a trail, she was gently encouraged. When she still didn't feel brave enough, she walked it and we moved on. There was no pressure to do anything you didn't feel comfortable with. Later on the coach found a slightly easier trail for her to tackle and after a few nervous attempts she did it. She turned around at the bottom beaming from ear to ear, not even trying to contain her joy. There was a lot of celebration of successes with no room for self-deprecation. Every clinic or ride ended on a positive note for everyone. We had many, many opportunities over the weekend to shamelessly applaud our accomplishments and then bask in the glory that followed.
By Sunday afternoon I rode obstacles that I would have thought impossible to ride on Saturday morning - to raucous applause of course. It was a great time with loads of new skills acquired and a whole bunch of new friendships formed. What stood out most for me was the power of like-minded women to support and empower each other when they come together for a common goal.
When my beginner group first met we each had to say something about ourselves that we were proud of. As women we're always modest and downplay our accomplishments, and here we were being asked to finish the sentence "I'm cool because I...". After much hesitation and encouragement answers limped out gingerly. They ranged from having done an Ironman, to running a major law firm to having completed a PhD to leaving a new baby home with Dad to come to mountain bike camp. One woman - I don't know how old she was, but she wasn't 25 - said she was cool because she was finally learning to do something she'd been intimidated by for a long time. Already I was inspired by both their accomplishments and their humility.
Over the balance of the weekend I encountered so many amazing women. When we were taking our group picture, the grey haired woman beside me, with her beautiful lined face, said "Oh don't make me squat down with these old knees". I challenged, "That's hardly a valid excuse when you're riding in the advanced group". Her face lit up with a smile and her eyes shone with mischief as she proudly said, "I guess not".
Then there was the ultra-marathoner. Her longest race was something ridiculous like 1800km over 14 days. "That took so long because we had to sleep", she explained, almost apologetically. We didn't even bother to hide our confusion. "Well usually it's more like 300km in 130 hours, but we don't sleep for those". Here was this elite athlete, learning to climb over roots and rocks on steep trails with me. How could I not feel empowered to be in such company, yet on a level playing field to master a new skill?
The Trek Dirt Series camp coaches were equally spectacular. Besides numerous mentions of competing at an International level at more than just mountain biking, one was learning to free-dive, another was learning to train scuba-divers; another was a university lecturer while working on her PhD and yet another was the first female VP at major Oil and Gas company in Calgary. Coaches and participants had travelled from Vancouver Island, from Calgary, Kamloops, Seattle and Portlandand all over the lower mainland to share in this experience, and I was thrilled to be a part of it. The coaches freely talked about their own learning experiences and they also tackled obstacles on the trail with mixed success. Again, it sent positive messages about trying new things and being proud of yourself for having the courage to try, even if you don't succeed. Not getting something just meant you had a new project to work on.
Neither size nor weight was a factor in this group. Some of the strongest riders were real woman with real curves. During the process of setting the suspension on our bikes, the bike tech needed to know how much the rider weighed. No one flinched or drew any reaction from anyone else when they said the number. For dinner they served breaded chicken strips and macaroni and cheese among other delicious selections. These women were used to working hard on the trails and refuelling heartily without counting calories. Once again I was impressed. For the record, helmet head was not a concern for these women either.
The groups were changed around frequently so you could meet other people and learn from a different teacher. I had the opportunity to chat with a Test of Metal competitor, a young woman still figuring out her life, another who had made mistakes and was working her way through them, and others with stellar futures ahead of them - everyone was different. As different as we all were, we all celebrated each others' successes as we savoured each accomplishment over the two day camp.
As it turns out, mud is a great equaliser. Or was it fun that was the equaliser? Or perhaps the courage to try something new and risking failure - but still being willing to try?
It didn't matter where you came from on Friday or where you were going back to on Monday morning. In those moments we all shared the thrill of riding and the joy of success. There is something so empowering about being able to pump your fist in the air victoriously and having those around you support you in your glory. I was honoured to be in the company of such amazing women. Yet at the same time humbled by our power to inspire and elevate each other to stellar heights.
