Cyclist: Another Role
for the
All-American Working Woman
By JENNIFER HOUCHINS
Some individuals look at women cyclists as a separate
group that needs special treatment. But in actuality,
are they not just cyclists? This question has come up in a
variety of different articles, debates and write-ups on
cycling in the comparison of the sexes. Although there
may not be a difference in technique, training, or even
participating in an event, there are some women that are
standing out in the world of ‘fund raising’ and cycling.
One team that plays that role is Team Faaster. Last
year’s Tour de Cure, Top Family & Friends team returns
to once again claim that prize. The team is led by cocaptains
Tammy Friddle and Paige Write. These
women are no strangers to the world of cycling and
taking charge.
Paige, a nurse analyst at Biodynamic Research
Corporation, is one tough woman. A dedicated working
woman with a fiery competitiveness makes her a
great leader to help bring Team Faaster to new
heights. Cycling now for over eight years, Paige first
got involved through her passion to run. With an early
diagnosis of arthritis in her knees, she was encouraged
to start up cycling. “Initially, the group of girls I associated
with rode mountain bikes, so that is what I
bought. I quickly realized that it was road riding that I
had a passion for,” recalls Paige. And then through
another group of friends she got connected with Team
Faaster in 2003 and has been participating ever since.
Paige has a connection to diabetes that is very
close to her heart. Her 17-year-old niece Tyla is type
1. Over the last several years, as she has gone through
many hormonal changes, her niece began to experience
unstable/elevated blood sugars. While participating
in another cycling event, Paige got a phone call
she’ll never forget. Her niece was in the Emergency
Room after being found in a diabetic coma on the
floor of her house. They were told Tyla was in serous
condition and might not wake up.
Feeling helpless so far from home, Paige waited
for the news that Tyla would be all right. She indeed
made a full recovery but continues to suffer with complications
associated with the disease. Paige now
dedicates her ride and fund-raising efforts to Tyla, in
hopes to one day help find that cure. “I have a deep
passion about this because I feel that diabetes is the
most serious and most common disease that affects
many, many people across this nation,” adds Paige.
Co-captain Tammy Friddle has been involved with
the team for five years now. Another single working
woman with the burn to succeed has taken her dedication
and perseverance to the road of cycling. After
joining a cycling class at her local gym, she was invited
to join Team Faaster (2003). “I laughed, as I did not
even own a bike, nor had I ridden one in years and certainly
not one with gears. But I considered the invitation
and that May participated in my first Tour de
Cure,” reflects Tammy.
Although no one in Tammy’s immediate family is
affected by diabetes, she is certainly aware of the disease
and the devastation it can have on an individual.
She has a few friends that live with the disease every
day, but what touches her heart the most are the overwhelming
statistics of children being diagnosed with
type 2 diabetes. “I think a big part is education, but of
course, to find a cure would be the solution. So I ride
this ride with that in mind. Paige and I work hard
recruiting new members to our team, and when it
comes to fund raising, we get a bit competitive. We
want everyone to enjoy the ride, but we also feel it is
very important that they understand our objective here
is to help raise funds to find a cure,” comments Tammy.
Paige and Tammy have both watched the Tour de
Cure, as well as Team Faaster, grow over the years and
hope to be a part of it one day becoming the No. 1
tour in the country. They share the same desire to continue
to grow the team and give individuals the opportunity
to do something good for others.
“This year Tammy and I plan to do multiple Tour
de Cure events. I am scheduled to leave the first of
May for the Napa Valley Tour; then we have our local
event in May. I may also be doing the Oklahoma City
Tour in June, and I will be participating in the Fort
Worth Tour in October,”
says Paige. By participating
in these events, Paige
and Tammy hope to bring
more riders and more
publicity to the event.“The Tour de Cure is a
fabulous ride, and it is
geared to accommodate
any level of cyclist. It is
very well organized and a
great venue for someone
with little cycling experience.
It’s an easy way to
give back to the community
while having fun and
meeting others that share
the same passion,” concludes Tammy.
Another alumni team led by a woman is team
Cool Cats Cycling Club. Captain Della Corales
stepped up to lead the team that currently has 36 riders
registered. “I guess I just like to be in charge,”
laughs Della about her role of team captain.
Della is no stranger to hard work and dedication.
She is a mother and business professional, owning her
own dental practice for 26 years. That dedication to
family and community helps her in cycling and training.
She has been riding for five years now and originally
got involved through two friends who were spin
instructors at a local gym. Once she got her road bike
and started, she hasn’t stopped since.
No stranger to diabetes, Della, her mother and
her brother all are living with type 2. She got involved
with the ADA Tour de Cure five years ago when she
started cycling. Impressed that the ADA took rider
comments seriously, she has watched the Tour grow
and “change for the better” over the years. “It is now
one of the best two-day rides I’ve participated in,”
adds Della. She continues her dedication to the cause
through her leadership and fund-raising efforts.
Through her busy work schedule, Della, along
with many others, participates in a number of training
rides to prepare for the Tour de Cure. But she encourages
others to get involved whether they are the avid
cyclist or just a beginner because the Tour has so many
different routes to choose from. “The Tour has a ride
for you, beginner to hammerhead. It’s all about getting
out, riding with friends and helping find a cure,”
explains Della.
New to the Tour de Cure event, but not cycling, is
team Ride Like a Girl. It all started in May of 2001 with
the determination of one woman, Veronica Petralia,
who was in search of a “woman-friendly” cycling group.
Veronica, who is recently married and the mother
of two grown children, not only runs a cycling club
but is also the owner of Beautiful Homes Real Estate
Firm. She is no stranger to determination and
patience. It was those characteristics that helped her
launch the cycling group Ride Like a Girl.
Understanding the need to have a relaxed way of
training and riding for fun, the women’s group quickly
got popular. And soon she found that even the
men were interested in this group. “We’ve had so
many guys begin riding with us that we started a
whole division for them– Ridin’ With The Girls,”
comments Veronica.
Although her cycling
club has offered training
rides and support in the
past, this will be the first
year for the group to participate
as a team in the
Tour de Cure. As the
founder of the group, she
stepped up to the challenge
of team captain.
Now with the hopes of 30
riders, this team will be
seen on the routes both
days of the event.
With her sister having type 2 and knowing so many
people affected by the disease, Veronica has a connection
to supporting the American Diabetes Association’s
fund-raising ride. She and her team recognize that in
San Antonio the number of individuals with diabetes is
startling, and the need to raise awareness and funds is
necessary.
Like all other teams, they focus on the need to
train and prepare for the two-day ride. They host training
rides every Sunday and welcome anyone interested,
members or non-members.
“Ride Like A Girl has been an incredible experience
for me. I have met so many of the most wonderful
people. It has come to be such an important part of
my life. Running a cycling club is a challenge, but running
one that is geared toward beginners is really challenging.
Initially, I thought it was going to be a club for
female mountain-bike racers. But that isn’t what San
Antonio needed. I kept getting calls and requests for
beginner rides and ‘how-to’ clinics. New riders kept
showing up. In the beginning, I brought in knowledgeable
riders to teach us how to ride, shift gears, pedal,
maintain our bikes, change tires, clean chains, etc.
Now I know enough that I handle the training rides
and clinics myself, along with my husband. We have
helped so many people get healthy, lose weight, gain
confidence,” says Veronica.
Despite the ever-continuing debate, these
women certainly prove one thing: that hard-working
women who are mothers, sisters, daughters, friends,
and even wives, can not only train and participate in
cycling events, they can step up and take charge just
like their cycling counterparts, men. For the Tour de
Cure it means even more – another dollar raised,
another mile crossed and another person informed of
the risks and dangers of diabetes. |
