This January 27th I will be riding in the Low Gap Grasshopper in Ukiah. The Grasshoppers are adventuresome and challenging mixed terrain adventure rides and races that have been going on in NorCal since 1998.
Helena Gilbert-Snyder of Monarch Racing is an amazing woman who wants to to get more young women to participate in events like this. She dreamed up a program to encourage U19 women to race the Low Gap and to match them up with super awesome female pro cyclist mentors--and she made it all happen!!!
The organizers have teamed up with NorCal Interscholastic Cycling League, and the GRiT program (Girls Riding Together) to support Helena's initiative. There will be 20 junior women and 20 mentors at the event; an all time high for a local gravel event. The event's goal is to raise $10,000 to support young women in the NorCal League for the 2024 season.
I am a GRiT Ambassador for 2024 and also one of the junior women participating in Helena's program. I am so grateful for all that Helena, NorCal League, and GRiT do, not only to get more girls on bikes, but to get them to race start lines, and to help them find their inner confidence so they can challenge themselves more and more!
I am very excited to raise funds for this cause and would greatly appreciate any amount you are able to contribute.
Thank you!
Ava Scott
Low Gap: Grasshopper #1
The Grasshoppers have always been about adventure, exploration and shred. And what better way to spread the stoke than by supporting the NorCal Interscholastic Cycling Leage and the GRiT Program?! This year we will have over 20 junior women riders and 20 mentors at Low Gap! We're asking YOU to join this unique opportunity to make a REAL difference in the lives of young women in NorCal. Your donations go directly to supporting the NorCal League's efforts to get, and keep, more girls on bikes.
The NorCal League GRiT program is part of NICA’s national initiative to recruit and retain more female student-athletes and coaches; the acronym GRiT stands for Girls Riding Together. The NorCal League is committed to building gender and racial equity in our League, and this is one of the ways that we are working on doing so.
NorCal GRiT provides a space for female student-athletes and coaches to enjoy the sport of mountain biking through mountain bike riding, racing, camps and other events and activities in a way that is different from participating with their male counterparts. We remain a proud, coed sport; however, GRiT events are specifically geared towards young women. Although the NorCal League has been successful in providing equal opportunities to all once participating in our programs, we can only be truly equal when we address the fact that many girls and women need specific things and have different needs than boys and men to feel welcome and invited into the sport of mountain biking and into our programs.
Our overarching goal of our NorCal GRiT program is to grow, and sustain, female participation in the sport of mountain biking. More specifically, in time, we are working to achieve our audacious goal of having 50% female participation in our league. With your help, and the help of our generous sponsors and donors, the future of cycling will look more diverse, equitable, and awesome.
The NorCal League GRiT program is part of NICA’s national initiative to recruit and retain more female student-athletes and coaches; the acronym GRiT stands for Girls Riding Together. The NorCal League is committed to building gender and racial equity in our League, and this is one of the ways that we are working on doing so.
NorCal GRiT provides a space for female student-athletes and coaches to enjoy the sport of mountain biking through mountain bike riding, racing, camps and other events and activities in a way that is different from participating with their male counterparts. We remain a proud, coed sport; however, GRiT events are specifically geared towards young women. Although the NorCal League has been successful in providing equal opportunities to all once participating in our programs, we can only be truly equal when we address the fact that many girls and women need specific things and have different needs than boys and men to feel welcome and invited into the sport of mountain biking and into our programs.
Our overarching goal of our NorCal GRiT program is to grow, and sustain, female participation in the sport of mountain biking. More specifically, in time, we are working to achieve our audacious goal of having 50% female participation in our league. With your help, and the help of our generous sponsors and donors, the future of cycling will look more diverse, equitable, and awesome.