Ayesha McGowan is the first Black American professional cyclist, and she’s paving the way for BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) women to follow in her footsteps. Racing in her first full season on the Women’s WorldTour, McGowan feels like she’s in a position to pay her (opens in new tab) – that creates representation, opportunity and access in the outdoor and cycling spaces.
McGowan is a longtime advocate for BIPOC’s better representation in the bike industry. In the interview with Cyclingnews, the Abundance initiative and corresponding grant programs specifically aimed at getting Black and Brown women into cycling, first at an entry-level, to build a pool of interest and talent. Next, through structured guidance and support, the focus is helping those who want to reach competitive and professional racing.
“For me, I’ve always seen it as a numbers game. getting people into the sport first. “
“It’s happening now already; there’s me and Teniel [Campbell] and Ceylin [del Carmen Alvarado, former cyclo-cross world champion] and the Canyon-SRAM Generation team. So, I feel like it’s finally going to stick and maybe one day, we’ll have our own Biniam Girmay where we have a Black woman winning a Spring Classic. “
Asked about the initiative’s name, Thee Abundance, McGowan explained that it is a reflection of one’s ability and willingness to share one’s abundance with others to help them develop and succeed.
“It’s not a secret that the outdoor industry and cycling are not particularly accessible. When I first got into the idea of becoming a road racer, I was just trying to accumulate the things that I needed to do,” McGowan said.
“I have always been a very generous person, always trying to help others. over small crumbs, but that everybody, then, actually they have what they are trying to do.
Out of this concept created Thee Abundance Project in 2021. Its sophomore year has expanded to include a second annual summit (opens in new tab) held as ‘a virtual celebration of Black and Brown joy in cycling and the outdoors’ and a new virtual training series on Zwift, held in April. The mini-grant program returned, and a micro-grant was added to the initiative to support more riders. The newly-launched Team Abundance will also be racing at major events in the US.
McGowan attributes much of the success of the two-day virtual summit to the help she received from colleague and friend Devin Cowens. McGowan herself was also organizing the event while racing in Europe this spring with Liv Racing Xstra.
“The goal of the whole experience is always joy, the driving motivation behind everything; joy, opportunity, and abundance. this is as successful as it can be. “
Structured training
Zwift and Carmichael Training System (CTS) support. Its two-week virtual training program culminated in a 90-minute race designed to allow participants to experience structured training. McGowan has been working with CTS since 2018 and says having access to coaching and training plan has been a big part of her success.
“I felt like I was starting to train. , but it helps to have guidance and structure from people who know what they’re doing is valuable, “McGowan said.
“I wanted to give people that opportunity to experience that in some way. Offering that [knowledge]this is what a workout looks like, or this can be a good ride, just seeing all the different ways people train versus just riding hard all the time.
“Coaching can be very inaccessible because it can be very expensive. But I think it’s a great necessity for athletes trying to reach a higher level. where I am now, which is a testament to its value. “
Paying it forward
This Ky Thee Abundance Mini Grant p / b Zwift will support nine athletes at four summer events. The racing begins at Tulsa Tough (June 10-12) in Oklahoma and continues with the Tour of America’s Dairyland (June 16-26) in Wisconsin, Intelligentsia Cup (July 22-31) in and around Chicago, Illinois, and Gateway Cup (September 2-5) in St. Louis, Missouri.
“These are all races that I have done, and we could only accommodate so many people. themes in those places, “McGowan said.
“We want to give people who are already living their opportunities. a couple of them will stick around and keep going. “
The Mini Grant Program p / b In addition, the initiative awarded recipients of the new Micro Grant Program p / b SRAM with an entry fee and a local license to accommodate 400 total race days for the year.
“I know from experience how valuable it is to race in a category 3 and 4 woman. There is nothing like the speed and intensity of summertime midwestern crits. happy to create this pipeline to get more Black and Brown women to the Pro field! ” McGowan said on her website, A Quick Brown Fox.
Lav, who will be racing on the American cycling circuit while also providing support to the new grant awardees.
“The team is made up of previous grant recipients, and so it’s kind of rolling up a roster based on interest in availability. the new incoming recipients and sort of mentorship; we’ve done this before and kind of helping show the ropes a bit. A pay-it-forward type of program. “
Getting here
McGowan was named in Cyclingnews‘The Power List: The 50 most influential people in cycling in 2020. She has been advocating for better BIPOC representation in the bike industry for years, using her voice to support and increase diversity within the sport’s brands, organizations, events, teams and media.
She is best known for her work in building and maintaining the A Quick Brown Fox (opens in new tab) website that includes her blog along with The Quick Brown Foxes Podcast (opens in new tab). She also part of The Black Foxes (opens in new tab), the international collective of Black cyclists. She has made outstanding progress in inspiring, influencing and leading the next generation of Black American women in cycling.
McGowan has been racing for the previous five seasons. She first competed domestically in the US before moving up to the Women’s WorldTeam Liv Racing to compete as a trainee last August. On her successful debut abroad, she was involved in a decisive breakaway and secured a seventh place on the final stage at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche in France.
This season, McGowan has raced with Liv Racing Xstra in a full range of Spring Classics, beginning at Strade Bianche in March and through the team’s classics campaign into April.
Despite having a mentor, even if many others don’t. And that she is, in many ways, still growing in her career as a pro cyclist.
“I am here for the people who need me, and I do not see myself as a mentor for anyone. Someone else might disagree with that statement. and I’m happy to share it with anyone who wants to know, “McGowan said.
“I’m trying to keep the US peloton for however long, but now I’m thrown into the deep end in Europe again, and it’s all new. feels like the experience but also kind of like research – use that information and pass it along to the folks I’m trying to get here. “