I (Zach) have a pretty solid history with bike racing. It changed my life in a pretty big way when I was about the same age as these young athletes, in a similarly modeled program. I was lucky to find it, and specifically the racing communities I’ve gotten to be a part of. I’ve been helping with and putting on events since I was 15/16 years old. Not kidding. Im proud to be a member of the @westvirginiamtb family that puts this programming together. Events are wicked stressful to put on. I always thought that would get better, but it really hasn’t. It doesn’t help that crowds make me super anxious. I never leave an event and especially a NICA race weekend wondering why I do this though. It doesn’t matter how hard it gets or stays. Its inspiring to watch the thousand stories unfold for kids learning to race bikes, young adults growing, and families diving deep into racing culture. So many people put so much into a simple weekend event: the village that it takes to put on the event, the families dedicated time and resources, and the racers putting their blood, sweat, and tears into it. Its pretty special. Thank you all for playing bikes with us this weekend. Thank you @bikebigbearwv for sharing your beautiful venue with us. If you want to get involved too, visit www.westvirginiamtb.org and check it out. There are lots of options.
