to all female cyclists & athletes 💌
Hey you,
I adore you for
your passion for sports,
your drive to explore,
your love for nature,
your willpower to become stronger,
and your endurance through the highs and lows.
You are a role model to me.
You balance life, work, unpaid work & sports.
You manage period & training like it’s no big deal,
often without talking about it to anyone.
I am inspired when you speak up
about mensplaining or bikesplaining,
about discrimination or body shaming,
about group pressure or cycling rules.
I stand behind you when you choose silence,
when you ignore the rude comment,
when you save your energy for other things,
when you let it pass.
You choose who you want to be.
You choose what topics you want to address.
Your voice is powerful.
But so is your silence.
You can say „I am a female cyclist“.
Or you can say „I am a cyclist“.
No matter what you choose – I am inspired by you. Because you are here.
We are not forced to be spokeswomen for equality in sports just because we are women. We don’t have to know all the answers. We are not guests in a talk show where we have to fight for our reputation or act like representatives of all females. We should not feel overwhelmed by questions that are too big to answer in a single conversation. We are allowed to ask the questions back without having the perfect solution.
In the first place we are humans. And strong athletes. We define ourselves. And it is our freedom to talk about ALL topics. Whether it’s bikepacking, racing, gravel, advenutre, tech-stuff, fashion or anti-fashion, all the beauty of cycling. The world is full of interesting stories.
You are here and you have your story to tell. I am here to listen and learn.
I appreciate every woman who chooses to be HERSELF. More than anything.
Thank you for being you!
