In honour of International Women’s Day, on March 8th, we give seven of our women riders the opportunity to tell you about their experiences in the world of action sports.
Not always a level playing field our crew of rippers has had to go out on a limp to succeed in their chosen action sports. And while the jibe “you ride like a girl” may have at one time been a put down thanks to the likes of TSG women riders the expression is now a genuine compliment.
Find out how they made it to the top and feast on a few tasty titbits of advice and inspiration from the crew to help you on your ride.
I Aimee Fuller – snowboarder, broadcaster & author
Despite being born in the UK, far away from any mountains, Aimee Fuller become a professional snowboarder with two Winter Olympics under her belt.
Aimee runs from meeting to event, broadcasts for BBC, writes a book in between, but there always has to be time for a few days of shredding in the mountains.
Listen what Aimee has to tell you:
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II Anna Pixner – downhill skateboarder
Austrian skater Anna Pixner is a true speed demon on her longboard, but also wildly courageous and inspiring off her board.
My sport thought me to not care what other people think about me. So just forget about the people around you, do what you enjoy and have fun.
Anna shares some advices with you:
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III Kara Beal – mountain biker and YouTube star
Kara Beal is blazing new trails on her MTB while inspirating up and coming girl mountain bikers the world over on her social media channels.
The best way to overcome fear is to trust in your own ability. Repetition for me is really good because it builds on my confidence.
You can follow Kara’s mountain biking progress live on her YouTube channel. In the reel below she gives you tips on how to push yourself and grow on the trail.
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IV Lara Lessmann – bmx rider
Lara Lessmann is a German pro BMXer who has paired luck with hard work to climb to the top of the global bike elite.
I’ve learned from my coach to ride with my heart and not my head.
Did you encounter any difficulties when you first started your sport?
In my sport, BMX freestyle, I felt like everyone was always welcome, no matter where they were from or where you’re at. Of course, when you get older and start growing up, people don’t treat you like “their brother” anymore but as a respected woman. I really like that I always felt myself and it was like coming home when I came to the park.
How did you end up doing bmx freestyle?
I started riding my bike because my older brother was very good at it. Unfortunately, he stopped a few years later. He still supports me and I think he’s very proud. I always tried to stay focused, doing what I love and going my own way. Sometimes it worked and sometimes maybe not so much but today I live in Berlin and I’m living the dream, riding my BMX and training every day to get better.
What do you suggest to overcome fears in your sport?
For me personally it helps to talk to friends about it. I’ve learned from my coach to ride with my heart and not my head. In extreme sports it’s not always easy to overcome your fears, especially for me as a woman, but there is no better feeling than when you land the trick you’ve trained for or dreamt of for years. It is very motivating to have friends trying the same trick or pushing me and for sure the best part is when we’re all happy that we’ve learned something new.
What advice would you give to a girl/young woman who’s just starting in your sport?
Trust the process. An advice that helped me a lot was to take it step by step to reach my goal. Everyone has their own tempo of learning or doing well in life. There is no rush. Don’t worry about what people think of you. You can’t change them. Just be yourself, be happy and enjoy the moment.
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V. Lea Jugovac – snowboarder
Lea Jugovac, from Croatia, is constantly pushing her limits on a snowboard, overcoming fear and conquering obstacles in her path like an absolute queen.
Fear is nothing you have to be ashamed of but it is important to remember how much hard work you’ve put into it and continue believing in yourself.
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VI. Leilani Ettel – snowboarder
From snow and water to concrete, German young-blood Leilani Ettel loves to shred hard whatever the board is under her feet.
let your actions speak louder than words!
Did you encounter any difficulties when you first started your sport?
I’m very grateful that I grew up skating, surfing and snowboarding with an amazing family. Early on I fell in love with all three sports. I feel comfortable skating big transitions and therefore snowboarding in halfpipes but nothing beats a sick powder day! 😀
What do you suggest to overcome fears in your sport?
Fear is almost always present in my sports and it’s important to learn to live with it and use it for good. For me, if I’m scared of a new trick I try and channel that energy and use it as motivation and give me confidence to stomp it. It always works like magic. Invest your energy wisely!
What advice would you give to a girl/young woman who’s just starting in your sport?
Of course, I had a couple of encounters of having to work against the typical stereotype of girls in action sports but it’s always best to just be who you are and let your actions speak louder than words!
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VII. Teresa Fernandez – bmx rider
Spain’s Teresa Fernandez is one of the world’s best bowl riders on a bike and is not one to shy away from the scary bits of action sports.
I encourage all the girls who are afraid to keep trying
Did you encounter any difficulties when you first started your sport?
Starting out is never easy, but little by little I made a place for myself among the boys and ended up being one of them.
How did you end up doing the sport, you’re doing now, what brought you here?
Mainly out of curiosity. Seeing the boys doing BMX impressed me and I love extreme sports, I asked them to lend me a bike and learned it was fun.
What do you suggest to overcome the fear in your sport?
Well, you overcome fear through practicing, so I encourage all the girls who are afraid to keep trying. When you are motivated and do something with enthusiasm, everything ends up being positive.
What advice would you give to a girl/young woman who’s just starting in your sport?
Don’t be ashamed to practice these sports and do the tricks you want to learn as many times as you need, no matter how many times you fall. With effort you can achieve anything you want. Perseverance is the most important thing when you like something.
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The overriding words of wisdom from our women riders is that if you tackle challenges head on, while being true to yourself you can be the mistress of your own destiny and succeed. Keep trying and never give up however hard the line ahead looks. And don’t forget the girls of the past cracked the codes that got us this far and it’s up to you to keep on shredding and help unlock the future for the women that come after you.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Remove that layer of pressure. Get out there and have fun.