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I joined Sorella Cycling in the spring of 2024 and I never imagined I’d get the honor of being a part of the Race Team by the end of the year. Prior to joining Sorella, I had been riding road and mountain bikes as a “Weekend Warrior” for ten or so years with a few occasional USA Cycling event podium finishes under my belt. I knew about Sorella through the various bike shops I was employed through in Atlanta, GA, but never thought I could be “one of the girls” much less be a part of a group of female cyclists who cultivate such greatness, teamwork, and community within the female cycling world—Silly me!

I possessed a minor misconception of myself once accepted as a Sorella Race Team Member. Yes, striving for first place is an honorable and achievable goal on the bike given the proper dedication and time management, but I decided to challenge myself for my 2025 cycling race season. What I did not expect was a complete career change including attendance at the University of Georgia for a nine-month legal certificate in my new field! I changed careers two months before the 2025 season race team selection and began my education only one month before. Perhaps I overreached, but I definitely sacrificed my training efforts and overall time on the bikes. I had some big shoes to fill!

Despite adding a new career and education, I decided to up my stakes when registering for my 2025 races by competing in the metric-century routes as opposed to my usual “piccolo” routes of 25-30 miles. My first race for the 2025 race season was in April in Helen, Georgia over an elevation gain of 6,889 feet! I placed third in my age group for this race and while I wasn’t thrilled with my performance, I was proud of the achievement due to my lack of allowable training in the previous months.

I competed in two more metric-century road races and one (my first-ever) mountain bike race in the following months. I was defeated and feeling ashamed for my sudden lapse in cycling success! I came to find the true meaning of “humble thyself” as a result.

My advice to you? Train hard, but give yourself time to rest. Listen to your body. Food is fuel! Be careful not to add too many links to your chain.

It took about a month for me to realize that I truly had accomplished so much this year, on and off the bikes, despite my feelings of guilt or perceived unworthiness. I was reminded by my fellow team members that it’s truly not about “placing” every time… It’s about showing up, having grit, and riding across the finish line.

It’s about proudly wearing my Sorella kit and sharing in the fun vibes with other female cyclists. It’s about hugging other team members who have been in my cycling shoes and lost by mere seconds to the next female, but found the ability to take their grit to the next race and do it all over again. The pro female race cyclists we love and follow know that every race will not grant a podium finish, but they keep showing up, too. I learned many lessons this year and my plans for next year… Grind harder, climb harder, and meet more talented and strong female cyclists who also know how to brake dance!

Seriously, though, I think this is why we compete every year—to challenge ourselves, to see what we can do, to push our limits in every facet, to give it our all because in the end, to display our passion for cycling with other female cyclists, to share our sisterhood… I truly have already won.