My love of riding started in my later years of life. I was 37 and my boyfriend at the time was a rider, so one day, we went and bought a Yamaha TTR 230 4-stroke woods bike so I could hit the trails with him. Sadly, the relationship did not last, but my love for riding did. I had a new sense of freedom and a passion that became my own. Riding has kept me grounded and given me the strength to face everyday life battles because I know if I can slay it on the dirt, I can do anything.

I love to ride because it clears my mind and feeds my soul.

After starting with a TTR 230 4 stroke, a year ago, I upgraded to a Kawasaki KX250 2-smoker. She is wild. Such a drastic change in bikes has posed some challenges for sure, but that is what seat time is for! And a few mods, of course! I love my 2-smoker! I love kick-starting her. I love trying to tame her. One day I hope to have a TX300i Husqvarna, but in the meantime, my Kawi is my girl! She takes me to the next level!

One of my favorite memories is when I raced the Odessa Kenda 100 in Washington. My only goal was to finish, and I came in 45th. But the fact that I finished the race was HUGE because I blew my starter 15 miles out with no kicker backup. We were at the bottom of the gnarliest hill climb that is in the race, and once I managed to bump-start her, everyone on the sidelines said, “you have one shot at this hill. Don’t blow it. No pressure!” (Lol) I slayed that hill and finished the race with no starter—no wipeouts or bails allowed! That was a huge empowering moment for me. Not to mention the weekend at Odessa was one of the best of my life. I rode that high for two weeks!

I live in the Okanagan, British Columbia, and ride here the most, so I would have to say this is my favorite place to ride. We have such a variety of trails and terrain that there is never a shortage of places to ride. You can challenge yourself on technical enduro tracks or hit up fast and flowy scenic routes. We are surrounded by mountains and lakes and views that are top-shelf. I would love to ride more of the coast and will in the new year—places like McNutt and Vedder out towards Vancouver, BC. Moab would be epic, the Idaho Sand Dunes, Florence, Oregon, Cali, Baja—the list goes on. I will always be exploring and am stoked for the next destination.

I ride to LIVE.

I love to ride because it clears my mind and feeds my soul. Every time I hit the trails and feel my bike vibrating beneath me, I feel free. It’s therapy! Bad day…go ride…stress in life…go ride…getting deep in the rabbit hole…go ride…wanna be happy…go ride…aggression to burn…go ride…not feeling so confident today…go ride. I ride to LIVE. I ride to feel genuine happiness that is mine for the taking. All you need is a full tank of gas and the purr of a 2-smoker engine, and the day is yours to be had!

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