Girls on wheels Danielle Lovett

Pod introImagine living with conditions that mean the thing that you love to do that brings you peace, sanity and good mental health is also the thing that will then knock you off your feet.
Today I talk with Katie Love about living with EDS and TOS and despite this, having the fortitude to send it on her mountain bike and do what she can, when she can. We chat about the layers of thought that go into daily decisions and activity and the constant balancing act she is navigating in regards to her energy, body and mind.
Katie shares how mountain biking allows her to blend in with the crowd, she is not ill Katie when she is on her bike, she is just Katie.  It almost provides a shield from pity and self consciousness, something I am certain we can all relate to in some shape or form. 
Katie is a bloody trooper and this episode will inspire the socks off you.

The Guest: 
I am using cycling as my escape and therapy due to having multiple conditions that effects me physically and mentally and aim to inspire those like me to get out and ride when you can.
Follow Katie : @the_exhausted_cyclist on Instagram , @KaTiE_lOvE_ on Twitter
You can check out Katie's blogs here: Katie's Website

Take away's from the episode:The fortitude of humans is incredible. When you are healthy you are free.

Bikes allow you to blend in with the crowd, they allow you to just be you, you are not what holds you back when you are on a bike, you are free. This offers the best escapism from reality which is often needed when you are dealing with everything life throws at you.
 
The thought processes around juggling your energy are exhausting, it is not only the 'obvious' that affects people with health conditions, the mind game is by far the biggest battle and so draining.


Useful Links:You can read a blog about Katie where she talks about life for Rider Resilience Katie Love - A Love Story — Rider Resilience
To find out more about Ehlers danlos syndrome (EDS) check out: What is EDS? - The Ehlers Danlos Society
To find out more about thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) check out:  Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment
To find out more about dysautonomia check out: Dysautonomia International:
If you want to get out on your bike and need some riding buddies then check out some local mountain bike groups.  They create opportunities for connection, a sense of belonging and friendships.  
MTB Chix and Trails are really active on facebook https://m.facebook.com/groups/370678596444806/  
Trail birds, a midlands based group with members all over https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/trailbirds/about/.  
Cycle sistas are based in Essex https://www.instagram.com/the_cycle_sistas/?hl=en
Girls Alive are a community aimed at getting women outdoors and hold regular mtb rides in Surrey- https://www.facebook.com/girlsaliveuk/?locale=en_GB
Get following GOW podcast at https://www.instagram.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ or https://www.facebook.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ and Shawnee https://www.instagram.com/_shredlikeagirl/   for news on group rides and social events.  

The Pod:Don’t forget to head on over to the GOW website https://www.girlsonwheelspodcast.co.uk/ and subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll be updated on upcoming guests and episodes and get a chance to get involved, either by suggesting topics, guests, coming on to share your story, or joining the panel for random episodes.  
If you liked what you heard please rate the pod and leave me a review on podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/girls-on-wheels-4953647 and the app you listen on.  It will help the show to grow and make me do a happy dance.
Don’t forget to hit subscribe on your favourite podcast app too so you don’t miss the next episode.
Huge thanks to the pods number one supporter Shawnee at Shred Like a Girl.  Go check out her awesome womens mtb clothing and join the community https://shredgirl.com/ 

Girls on wheels coming at yaaaaaaaaaa.
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Pod introBikes don't just give you all the feels when you are riding them, the whole world you enter into when you get hooked is just as beneficial.  
Hear a prime example of this from Emma, the guest in today’s pod. 
Em has been crowned the ultimate hype queen by the MTB community, boosting everyone’s confidence and passing on her infectious energy and love for the sport to everyone she rides with.  
Em shares with us how bikes have helped her overcome her obstacles in managing a stammer and constantly push her out of her comfort zone and thrive.
  
The Guest: Paramedic by trade but in my spare time I’m Trek Bath ‘s Ambassador and Women’s Advocate, trying to encourage and support more people to get into mountain biking and cycling! I just love bikes , hanging out and meeting cool people and bringing those top vibes!
Follow Em and keep informed about upcoming social rides:@emmapursall on Instagram , Em (Emma)'s Facebook group

Take away's from the episode: 
Bikes give you this whole world both on and off the saddle to push you in so many ways, they open up opportunities to do things you wouldn’t ordinarily do.  

Secondary bike hype is REAL and just the best. Nothing better than someone cheer leading you from the side of a trail to make you clear that feature.

We love bikes.

Useful Links:If you want to get out on your bike and need some riding buddies then check out some local mountain bike groups.  They create opportunities for connection, a sense of belonging and friendships.  
MTB Chix and Trails are really active on facebook http://bit.ly/3mLKkV4
Trail Birds, a Midlands based group with members all over http://bit.ly/3JGIpdr 
Cycle Sistas are based in Essex https://bit.ly/3TidzLn
Girls Alive are a community aimed at getting women outdoors and hold regular MTB rides in Surrey- http://bit.ly/3Tq4Eb2
Dame Cycling Forest of Dean are a womens MTB group who hold regular weekly rides for all abilities around beautiful FOD.  http://bit.ly/3TmuNYi
Get following GOW podcast at https://www.instagram.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ or https://www.facebook.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ and Shawnee https://www.instagram.com/_shredlikeagirl/   for news on group rides and social events.  

The Pod:Don’t forget to head on over to the GOW website https://www.girlsonwheelspodcast.co.uk/ and subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll be updated on upcoming guests and episodes and get a chance to get involved, either by suggesting topics, guests, coming on to share your story, or joining the panel for random episodes.  
If you liked what you heard please rate the pod and leave me a review on podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/girls-on-wheels-4953647 and the app you listen on.  It will help the show to grow and make me do a happy dance.
Don’t forget to hit subscribe on your favourite podcast app too so you don’t miss the next episode.
Huge thanks to the pods number one supporter Shawnee at Shred Like a Girl.  Go check out her awesome womens mtb clothing and join the community https://shredgirl.com/ 

Girls on wheels coming at yaaaaaaaaaa.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I have the pleasure of chatting with Liv Taylor, a 12 year old superstar who is setting her sights on World class titles in Downhill Mountain Biking and is on track to get there.
She is fearless, dedicated, determined and humble, and has recently been chosen for Madison Saracen's Youth Development Team, an amazing opportunity where they nurture and develop the talents of younger riders in a bid to create World class athletes.
Not only that, Liv has the support of mountain biking royalty such as Tahnee Seagrave, Rachel Atherton, Veron Sandler and Becci Skelton who have undoubtedly inspired her to be the best after seeing that raw talent come from the little ripper shredding the likes of Revolution Bike Park!
It has not been easy though. British Cycling's race structure meant Liv had to 'wait around' in effect because despite her talent, she was not old enough to race in the races or categories that matched her talent. Here from James, Liv's Dad about this and what they had to do to get Liv to be able to race.
I want to be like Liv when I grow up.

The Guest: Liv got on a bike at Cannock Chase when she was 8 years old, it was clear she had a natural talent and overcame every feature in no time. An impromptu visit to an uplift venue in Wales gave Liv the downhill bug and she has never looked back.
Entering her first races at 417 bike park wetted her appetite for competition and she has gone from strength to strength and is now on track for world class podiums.
You can follow and support Liv and see all the crazy things she rides over on instagram: @Livshreds on Instagram

Take away's from the episode:It has not been an easy time for Liv to get the permission to race to match her talent. British Cycling do not appear to make it easy for young talent in Downhill Biking to excel and progress, Liv was left 'waiting' around, unable to race because of her age. What are we missing out on as a country by having this structure in racing?

"If you're good enough, you are old enough", is the approach every other country seems to adopt in terms of allowing talented youngsters to race.

The support system around you when you compete in this sport is so key to nurturing talent. Role models are vital for younger riders to provide support, inspiration and bring on progression.

We love bikes.


Useful Links:For info on the British Downhill series 2023 check out http://bit.ly/425j8km
To follow Liv’s success and race results you can check out Roots and Rain http://bit.ly/3lcXJVN
To read more about the Madison Saracen Development Team check out; http://bit.ly/3FrlDnn
If you want to get out on your bike and need some riding buddies then check out some local mountain bike groups.  They create opportunities for connection, a sense of belonging and friendships.  
MTB Chix and Trails are really active on facebook http://bit.ly/3mLKkV4
Trail Birds, a Midlands based group with members all over http://bit.ly/3JGIpdr 
Cycle Sistas are based in Essex https://bit.ly/3TidzLn
Girls Alive are a community aimed at getting women outdoors and hold regular MTB rides in Surrey- http://bit.ly/3Tq4Eb2
Dame Cycling Forest of Dean are a women's MTB group who hold regular weekly rides for all abilities around beautiful FOD.  http://bit.ly/3TmuNYi
Get following GOW podcast at https://www.instagram.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ or https://www.facebook.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ and Shawnee https://www.instagram.com/_shredlikeagirl/   for news on group rides and social events.  

The Pod:Don’t forget to head on over to the GOW website https://www.girlsonwheelspodcast.co.uk/ and subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll be updated on upcoming guests and episodes and get a chance to get involved, either by suggesting topics, guests, coming on to share your story, or joining the panel for random episodes.  
If you liked what you heard please rate the pod and leave me a review on podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/girls-on-wheels-4953647

Today’s podcast is a very special episode with the most beautiful, courageous, heavenly human Janine.   
Janine trusted me to listen to her experiences about being a black woman and what life is like for her and the everyday racism she experiences and the impact this has on her. We also speak about the barriers that exist for black people and other persons of colour to join a sport they are not represented in. 
Janine and I were chatting after a recent bike event we both went to where she admitted that despite being surrounded by women, she walked away with a sense of feeling alone as she was the only black woman there and asked herself why?
We hope that by having these conversations, regardless of how difficult people may find them, will create a catalyst for change and encourage people to begin to take the small steps that will make a huge difference.  
If there is anyone who would also like to share their experiences about being a person of colour in mountain biking please get in touch.  Janine and I plan to continue these episodes and would love to get different perspectives. Please get in touch with either of us via DM's.
  
The Guest: Having always had a deep love of bikes which stemmed from BMX and now MTB, Janine lives in North Devon with her husband, two daughters, a dog and a cat. 
She jumped back into her passion of riding bikes wholeheartedly in the summer of 2021 and has been frequenting bike parks and trail centres as much as possible since then. She is happy to attack all kinds of trails but her heart lies with air time on flow and jump lines. With wishing she had more confidence when younger to do more within the BMX scene that she grew up immersed in, she has found now that fear has left the building and demonstrates a serious ‘it’s now or never’ attitude to her riding.   
In being one of the few ‘socially visible’ women of colour riding MTB it is her aim to inspire and show members of minority groups what could be possible and is actively looking for ways to make trail and park riding more accessible to these communities. She is taking part in the Girls On Wheels podcasts to help raise awareness and open the conversation up further to the barriers people of colour and women face in entering the sport. 
She is on the committee of a brand new bike park currently being built in North Devon and is enjoying spending time with the team in going through all the necessary motions of making it happen from taking on the licence with others for the use of private woodland for the park to council engagement, planning, membership recruitment, secretarial duties and trail building. 
Janine believes that the best results in any pursuit are achieved when they are truly driven by the heart and soul and this is the exact place that she lives from with all things MTB related. 
Follow Janine : Janine 's Facebook page , @janine_ngaio on Instagram

Take away's from the episode:Be Anti-Racist. Be an ally. Support those who are doing amazing work in this area. Diversify what you consume.


Action over inaction.  Take the time to educate yourself on this subject. There is a link to an account with a highlight reel called BLM containing accounts to follow on social media below; they provide information, education and further reading on being Anti-Racist, white privilege, racism. 


Don’t assume the reaction of a victim of racism is a true representation of how they feel. Be an ally to that person and step forward and challenge those involved.  

 
You can not be what you can not see. 


Equality is the first step. Equity goes further and is what is needed.


Useful Links:Article on Equity and Equality - https://www.internationalwomensday.com/EquityEquality
https://www.instagram.com/iamlaurenmahon/ - Click on her highlight 'BLM' for so many good resources and accounts to follow.  This was where I started so I am sharing it. Check out the guide to white privilege on the highlight too.
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Pod introToday I talk with Rich from Western Bike Events, a new MTB enduro series set in South Wales for 2023.  
We talk about how he set up this series and get an insight into the amount of work that goes into it.  
Rich wants to get more women to sign up to his enduro and we have an open chat about the barriers women can experience when thinking about entering races and all the awesome things Rich is doing to combat them.
We also discuss the complete lack of representation from people of colour in the sport.  This is a conversation I will be having in a lot more depth in future episodes, led by the wonderful Janine. 
We get Rich’s perspective on the constraints a race organiser experiences in implementing the solutions we think would be really easy and he removes a lot of blind spots. 
It is a longer episode than usual however it is bursting with value so well worth a listen.
If you are a race or event organiser, have a female in your life who rides bikes, or work for a MTB brand and want to reach more people of colour and female riders with your marketing then this episode is for you.  I learnt so much from it.  
Check out the written Q&A and the end of the show notes. Rich gave in depth answers to the audience questions that were submitted on social media. Absolute GOLD.

The Guest: 
Richard is a mountain bike enduro event organiser who’s responsible for Western Bike Events Ltd, a company which he owns equally with his wife, Sara. For his first year he’s focussed on delivering an enduro series across South Wales, the Valleys Enduro Series. The VES is a mixed series where the women’s categories are the same as the mens categories equally. He plans to grow the series and diversify his events.Originally from Cumbria where his love of mountains and interest in the outdoors was sparked from an early age. He’s owned a mountain bike in one form or another for most of his life; however, it wasn't until 2006 that the mtb bug finally bit hard. He’s married to Sara and has two children.
You can follow him: Richard 's Facebook group , Richard 's Facebook page , @Western-bike-events on Instagram.

Take away's from the episode:“You can not be what you can not see”.   There are barely any ‘everyday’ female rider photographs to use in promo for racing and even less representing people of colour. Rich is open to chats with anyone who would like to provide some decent action bike photos from these underrepresented groups.


Although we think the solutions to the barriers we discuss are straightforward, there is more to it when making things a reality;  practical, logistical and financial constraints all play a part.  It is always worth considering this.

 
Rich spoke about barely seeing any women come forward for dig days.  He would love to see this change.


We love bikes.


Useful Links:Check out Rich’s race series https://www.western-bike-events.wales/
If you fancy joining in some races to get connected and try something new you can check out British Cycling events page for upcoming mountain bike races https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events?zuv_bc_discipline_filter_id=7 and also check out Si entries https://www.sientries.co.uk/

If you want to get out on your bike and need some riding buddies then check out some local mountain bike groups.  They create opportunities for connection, a sense of belonging and friendships.  
MTB Chix and Trails are really active on facebook https://m.facebook.com/groups/370678596444806/  
Trail birds, a midlands based group with members all over https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/trailbirds/about/.  
Cycle sistas are based in Essex https://www.instagram.com/the_cycle_sistas/?hl=en
Girls Alive are a community aimed at getting women outdoors and hold regular mtb rides in Surrey- https://www.facebook.com/girlsaliveuk/?locale=en_GB
Get following GOW podcast at https://www.instagram.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ or https://www.facebook.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/

Today Murray and myself laugh our way through our cancer chaos and share insights into what life is like during and after a diagnosis.  I think we mention mountain biking at some point.It goes deep but it is light hearted, a mini delve into the world of the Big C.
Towards the end we talk about Murray's perspective on girls in mountain biking and he will reassure you, most guys are stoked to see females on the trails and want to do what they can to make us feel at ease. 
  
The Guest: 
Grew up in Dunstable and started to ride more seriously once I’d left school for a few years. Did some nationals races with my friend and sucked. Did kickboxing and played drums in a band for ages.In 2013 I started riding again but then had an emergency op to remove a brain tumour. Successful op but had to take steroids (put on tonnes of weight) then travel every day to Addenbrookes hospital for 6 weeks. Also had 6 months of optional chemo and then couldn’t drive for two years after the end of my treatment. Took a while to get myself back in order but have been riding and racing since getting myself back to a decent bit of health. Up and down since but making it work!
You can follow Murray and give him a shout if you want a tour guide at Woburn or Twisted Oaks. Murray's Facebook page @murrayrawson85 on Instagram
Take away's from the episode:
Steroids make you STARVING

Groups of guys may look intimidating when you arrive at a trail but the majority of them are good guys who will do what they can to help you out and make you feel at ease. 

We love bikes.

Useful Links:
If you want to get out on your bike and need some riding buddies then check out some local mountain bike groups.  They create opportunities for connection, a sense of belonging and friendships.  

MTB Chix and Trails are really active on facebook https://m.facebook.com/groups/370678596444806/  
Trail birds, a midlands based group with members all over https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/trailbirds/about/.  
Cycle sistas are based in Essex https://www.instagram.com/the_cycle_sistas/?hl=en
Girls Alive are a community aimed at getting women outdoors and hold regular mtb rides in Surrey- https://www.facebook.com/girlsaliveuk/?locale=en_GB
Get following GOW podcast https://www.instagram.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ or on facebook https://www.facebook.com/girlsonwheelspodcast and Shawnee https://www.instagram.com/_shredlikeagirl/  for news on group rides social events.  
    
The Pod:
Don’t forget to head on over to the GOW website https://girlsonwheelspodcast.co.uk/ and subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll be updated on upcoming guests and episodes and get a chance to get involved, either by suggesting topics, guests, coming on to share your story, or joining the panel for random episodes.  
If you liked what you heard please rate the pod and leave me a review on podchaser and the app you listen on.  It will help the show to grow and make me do a happy dance.
Don’t forget to hit subscribe on your favourite podcast app so you don’t miss the next episode.
Huge thanks to the pods number one supporter Shawnee at Shred Like a Girl.  Go check out her awesome womens mtb clothing and join the community https://shredgirl.com/ 
Girls on wheels coming at yaaaaaaaaaa. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.