I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing this group of ladies who are still rocking trails well past 50 (and 70 in Henrietta's case)
These girls have a group called "Girls Rock Women's Mountain Biking Organization" otherwise just known as Girls Rock based in Santa Cruz which is a women-focused MTB community which aims to make MTB accessible to all ages.
Their life experiences completely changed the way I think about longevity and starting late in life.
Jessica Tseng grew up in a traditional Chinese household where she was taught (In her own words) Don’t get too much sun, don’t get hurt and don’t climb trees.
She didn’t even start mountain biking until later in life.
Now? She coaches women full-time, races downhill and enduro at 50, and left a successful tech career to empower more women through riding.
Jessica started racing in her 40s… and thinks it’s really important to continue to see female faces out there on the race course.
Then there’s Henrietta Stern, who suffered a major heart condition after years of racing cross-country competitively.
At one point, someone watching her get taken away in an ambulance said that her racing career is over.
But instead of quitting, she adapted.
She started focusing on technique, coaching, and riding for joy instead of pure competition.
Now at 70, she’s still riding technical terrain and says that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
All in all, these ladies have shown me that longevity isn't about trying to stay young, it's about being adaptable and willing to go through the changes in your body and keep learning along the way.
The quote that struck me the most from this interview was when Henrietta said "You are directing that bike and you dance together and make beautiful music"
which spoke to my heart because as music is for all ages, mountain biking should be too.
by MaleficentFloor822