THE KENDA GIRLS THE KENDA GIRLS - Spokes Magazine

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KENDA continued from p.9
these women on the team can win a race and knowing
and having that kind of capability is huge to me.”
Benefits aren’t limited to just the bike, either. Huizing
believes racing helps her to work at a higher level and
more intensely, while Goldberg tries to take her race
skill of being able to make snap decisions, into life.
It’s not about just training your legs, but your mind as
well. Of this far reaching effect, Betsy Baysinger adds,
“You learn how much is mental and you can bring
that into other parts of your life.”
Forsythe says his goal for Team Kenda is for women
“to have the opportunity to go from beginner to pro
if that’s what they aspire to.” Some women aspire to
national recognition while others are looking for a
comfort zone. Forsythe says, “If your comfort zone
is Cat 3 or 4, that’s perfectly fine.” Adding, “As long
as you race, there’s a spot for you on the team.” He
points out that Team Kenda is not a club team, meaning
all members must race, but “we pretty much have
an open door policy. As long as you’re willing to compete
on a regular basis, there’s a place for you in the
club. Not everyone can be a Cat 1 or 2 racer. There
are some women who many never move up from Cat
4, but they like to race and there’s a place for them.”
Allowing the women just to race, without the pressure
of having to win breeds all around success. Since
forming, Team Kenda mid-Atlantic has consistently
placed in the top five of regional races and in the top
25 of national races.
Knowing each other and being a team definitely has
its own benefits. Harker adds that, “We know each
other. We understand that we’re all juggling things in
our lives so everyone understands when you drop a
ball. This is something that augments our daily living.
There’s no pressure. The goal is to not make anyone
feel bad.”
As Team Director, Forsythe speaks to why this mid-
Atlantic team is so important saying “They are a really
good example of what a team is. Some racers don’t
understand why you would stick with a team if you’re
getting better offers, but they understand what it
means to be a team.” While most of the women are a
powerhouse of Cat 1 and 2 racers, should there come
a day when performance slips, Forsythe sees continued
involvement as important saying, “Some people
think that if you’re not able to win races, there’s nothing
left for them to do. Well, yeah there is. You can
inspire and bring up other people.”
Still in top form, Team Kenda mid-Atlantic already
sees that as their mission. Forsythe notes, as example,
“Marjan [Huizing] is an amazing athlete. She’s an
example of someone who wasn’t looking to take
anything from the team, but wanted to help mentor
younger riders.” She says that, to her, Team Kenda is
about promoting women’s cycling. It’s about “giving
all women an opportunity to get the best out of them;
an opportunity to race intensely nationwide, or locally,
or sporadically.” Goldberg agrees saying, “We see
our role as mentors to some younger women in the
sport.” And Hubbard adds, “We try to represent Team
Kenda in a positive way to encourage more women to
get involved in cycling.”
Forsythe believes Team Kenda does play an important
role in women’s racing today through its development
program. “We have mentors in place. We try to connect
promising riders with their regional team, but it’s
not forced. The regions are allowed to decide what’s
best for the team.” He adds that, “The fact that we
maintain a national team while having a development
program makes us unique.” But, “a developmental
team is important to the future of women’s racing”
and Forsythe wishes that more teams would take on
the same responsibility saying, “You need to use some
of that money to invest in developing up-and-coming
talent to have a viable team for years to come.”
As Hubbard says, “Team Kenda is about the development
of women’s cycling; about getting in young, raw,
talented cyclists and helping to mold and shape that
talent into something special so they can, at some
point, compete at the national level.” But Forsythe
doesn’t want a woman’s experience with Team Kenda
to be just “a stepping stone” in their race careers,
should they aspire to that. He sees a future where
Team Kenda becomes “a power team.”
For the mid-Atlantic area, Forsythe sees the state of
women’s racing as very strong. “Major races continue
year after year where there have generally been losses
of events across the rest of the country. I have had
more inquiries concerning team membership from
that area than from any other. That must mean that
Marni [Harker] and her riders are putting on a pretty
good show. When someone wants to be a part of what
you have, they surely perceive that what you have is
valuable.”
The women of Team Kenda mid-Atlantic have their
own thoughts on why women’s racing is growing.
Citing everything from growing fields which make it
easier for women to break into racing and find their
comfort zone, to more college programs promoting
women’s involvement in cycling, to even an increased
interest gained through triathlons and spinning, the
women encourage anyone interested to “just go for
it,” as Huizing says. Having come into the sport from
being a bike commuter, Heidi Goldberg notes that,
“it’s an accessible sport even to people without an athletic
background.”
For those thinking about jumping into the competitive
world of bike racing, they suggest joining
group rides through local bikes shops. Adds Janelle
Hubbard, “It does not matter how old you are, but
that you enjoy riding your bike. Just get out there and
have fun and don’t be afraid to ask questions because
we love to answer them.” Huizing concurs saying,
“Our mid-Atlantic team is very friendly and welcoming
to new racers.” Though they may have their “race
face” on during a race, team manager Marni Harker
sums it up in what seems to be the Team Kenda mid-
Atlantic’s goal: “The emphasis is on making it fun.”
8 May 2009
8 May 2009