#and Tim fell in love but they overcame with the power of friendship and came back stronger | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

weshipyourride · 6 months

Text

From Athlete To Entrepreneur: Tessa’s NICA Journey

We created our Bikeflights Buck Up For Bikes Program in 2016 to support non-profit grassroots partner organizations developing the next generation of cyclists, but it turns out that sometimes developing the next generation of cyclists also leads to developing the next generation of entrepreneurs. In this guest blog post, one of our long-time Buck Up For Bikes beneficiaries, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), shares an inspirational story about a young woman who not only discovered a love of riding but also co-founded a new bike brand.

Tessa’s journey with NICA began as a sixth grader at Ardis Ann Middle School in Bentonville, Arkansas.

She wanted to try a sport, but was unsure about which to pursue until her PE teacher, Tim Keith, introduced her to the after-school "Bike Club." Tessa initially rode her BMX bike, but found herself drawn to the idea of riding trails.

Seeing this, Coach Keith told her about a local mountain bike team called the "Lincoln Junior High Leopards.” Her dad Saul was skeptical, worried that she might struggle due to her ADHD. After discussing the pros and cons with Coach Keith, Saul decided to let Tessa give it a try. He even gave her his own mountain bike to kick start her journey.

Instantly, she fell in love with mountain biking! Tessa participated in NICA every year, even serving the Arkansas Interscholastic Cycling League as a GRiT ambassador. She graduated from her high school team in May of 2023.

Over the years, Tessa's time with her team made an ongoing impact on her self-confidence and well-being. Participating in a sport that she loved, and with a caring community around her, Tessa was able to manage her ADHD and overcame some of her struggles with schoolwork. She became an honor roll student with a 4.0 GPA, and credits NICA as being an outlet that helped her to focus on everyday tasks and achieve academic success.

Her dad came along for the ride, too. Saul earned his Level 1 Coaching license to help out the team. At practices and races, he used his mechanical skills to support kids and coaches with their bikes, serving as the “Team Mechanic.”

Tessa knew when she graduated that she wanted to start her own business. When the opportunity arose for Tessa and Saul to attend GORP (Greenhouse Outdoor Recreational Program), a University of Arkansas program developing entrepreneurs in the outdoor recreation industry, they knew they had to participate. Tessa was the youngest entrepreneur in their cohort.

GORP introduced them to the ins and outs of starting a business, which laid the foundation for Tessa and Saul’s new project, their very own bike brand: XNA Bikes.

Even now, months after graduating, NICA remains an integral part of Tessa's life. She started coaching young kids with a local mountain bike group, and shares NICA with everyone she talks to.

From a sixth grader struggling with ADHD and searching for a place to belong, to an entrepreneur making her mark on her community, Tessa's NICA journey has been nothing short of transformative. Her story represents the power that cycling has to change lives, build friendships, unite families, and most importantly, create spaces for everyone to enjoy.

All photos courtesy of National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).

When you book your next Bikeflights shipment, remember to donate a buck, or more, to support the future of cycling. We collect and cover the costs of processing donations, making sure that every dollar donated goes directly to the partner organizations. We also cover all costs of administering and publicizing the program. To date, we’ve raised more than $121k+ to work toward a more inclusive cycling community.

Donate to NICA’s “Ride Together, Thrive Together” year-end fundraising campaign.

Learn more about Buck Up For Bikes.

#bikeflights #bicycleshipping #bikeshipping #weshipyouride #shipthebestway #buckupforbikes #shipyourbike

0 notes