Kimberly’s Story
Phinneus McKenna has been a shining light of positivity on the North Tahoe Mountain Bike Team. Despite his limitations, he has found friendship, fun, and connection through the sport of mountain biking.
No Matter Who You Are: Phinneus McKenna’s Story – Riding with NICA While Legally Blind
Phinneus McKenna has been a shining light of positivity on the North Tahoe Mountain Bike Team. Despite his limitations, he has found friendship, fun, and connection through the sport of mountain biking.
No Matter Where You’re From: How The UrbanPromise Trailblazers Are Bringing Mountain Biking to Wilmington
NICA teams are spread across the country, forming even in urban areas not well known for their access to trails. Urban teams face different challenges than those with ready access to trail systems, but the students who live there deserve the same opportunity to get outside and experience the joys of cycling. For Coach Marc and Coach Carolyn, launching the UrbanPromise Wilmington Trailblazers team was a way to welcome inner-city students into the outdoors, teach them valuable life skills, and provide a safe space for learning and development.
2023 Holiday Gift Guide
Picking the perfect holiday gift for your coaches, student-athletes, family, and friends is tricky. But, you’re in the right place! We’ve compiled our favorite finds from our trusted NICA partners so that you can find something for every cyclist on your list.
No Matter Why You Ride: Madison Bess’ Story
Student-athletes pick up the bike for many different reasons. They want to challenge themselves, to be a part of their community, or to connect with their families. No matter why they join, with no bench, and no tryouts, every NICA athlete gets to ride.
From Athlete, to Coach, to Advocate: Meet Alumni Gabby Huffman
When Gabby Huffman’s parents started the San Domenico Mountain Bike Team, she knew she wanted to spend her high school years racing with the NorCal NICA league. And, after being named the Team Captain her senior year and graduating, she knew she wasn’t ready to leave NICA behind.
From Athlete to Entrepreneur: Tessa’s NICA Journey
To help raise awareness and celebrate the many ways that people with ADHD are thriving, we’re sharing the story of Tessa, a young entrepreneur who credits mountain biking with helping her manage her ADHD and achieve her goals.
Seasons of GRiT! A Conversation with Coordinators Across Leagues
When GRiT (Girls Riding Together) was launched in 2018, its purpose was to invite more girls and women to the cycling community. Five years later, over 8,000 female student-athletes and coaches are riding dirt with NICA teams, reflecting a 4% increase in the percentage of female riders across the organization. The heroes responsible for leading this growth are the league GRiT Coordinators. These women organize league-level GRiT programming, while also training and empowering team-level GRiT coaches to recruit more girls and women to their teams. Last year, GRiT Coordinators collectively hosted over 110 events to get more girls involved in cycling!
From Shy to Fly: The Carter Anderson Story
Continuing to race bikes is something many NICA athletes choose to pursue after their years on their local team. Some enjoy local events, and some want to take cycling to the next level, and pursue a professional career in sport. That’s how Carter Anderson found himself grinding through miles of gorgeous gravel roads in his first professional race alongside his idols at the Lifetime Unbound 2023.
Celebrating NICA Seniors
June is a great time to get out for a ride! With the weather warming and summer vacations being booked to mountain bike hotspots, NICA families have lots to look forward to.It’s also time for graduation. Teams across the country are celebrating their beloved senior riders. Whether moving on to a collegiate team, signing up to coach, or just commuting around town, NICA’s newest alumni are entering the next stage of their lives with their bikes and their communities by their side.