A shout out and a tutu bump to Austin for sharing her story with us. But first, let's set something straight right outta the gate - don't go thinking Austin is from Texas. Nope, she's got Maryland roots and has spent many hours sailing in the waters near Annapolis.
Austin recently relocated to Steamboat Springs, CO and found out about us from her friend who attended our April Retreat. Our word of mouth referrals make us ridiculously happy and give us feedback that we're making a positive impact on our participants! YAY.
And without further adieu, here's all the scoop straight from Austin:
Where were you at prior to our Retreat? I was riding in fear. That's not to say that I wasn't having fun, because I was outside on my bike in beautiful Steamboat Springs, Colorado! Having two ER visits within my first few rides on the mountain bike definitely affected my psyche, but I kept going back for more. I didn't want to give up trail riding because I was afraid, but I knew there was a better way to ride the trails.
Favorite Retreat Moment(s): Watching riders who were so new to the bike crush it on some techy uphill (and downhill) sections was so awesome! Witnessing everyone around me having so much fun!
The other women at the retreat got me excited to ride and showed me what you can do when fear doesn't get in the way.
Post Retreat Highlight(s): More fun! I'm not riding for efficiency and survival now, but rather for fun and play. I'm less tentative, and make it around the trails a little faster than I used to with more confidence in the new skills I'm using.
I still get frustrated on occasion with features, and sometimes shy away from technical spots, but I'm more excited to tackle features rather than avoid them.
I know I can get my mind and body to work together with practice, and those tricky technical features will become places to play one day.
Mindset Tools you’re using now:
I remember (and visualize) successfully riding trails and sections (at the retreat) that are similar or tougher than what I'm riding now; and I remember how good it felt to make it through that section!
I tell myself that if I can ride that, I can tackle the trail in front of me, (even if it's not today).
I also look for fun spots on my ride-- drops or technical sections I avoided previously are now an opportunity to play and have fun practicing skills I learned or tuned during the retreat.
What brings you joy off the bike? Fresh air and time outdoors is my happy place.
I love hiking, biking, paddling, sailing, even working in my yard ... and puppies. Who doesn't like puppies? What’s your secret recipe to being strong on the bike?
Willpower and telling myself "you can do this!"
I'm pretty stubborn and don't tend to give up easily. It gets me through rides and keeps me working on a solution when I can't find one right away.
GO AUSTIN GO!