Meet Andy
"All you need is twenty seconds of insane courage and I promise you, something great will come of it"
Andy l 21 l College Graduate l Lover of art and the outdoors l Newbie
On Life
I live in the hills of Vermont, USA with my family and am actively looking for my challenge in life! I love being outdoors; specifically hiking, swimming, biking, and running! My ultimate goal in life is to help teens and women who suffer from eating disorders/self-acceptance issues by finding inner strength through physical activity as proof that your body is uniquely yours and POWERFUL!
On Beginnings
I had influence from my extended family who were pretty serious bikers. I recently just graduated college and started my cycling career there! I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to find a new challenge and when I first got on the bike I instantly fell in love with the feeling of tackling inclines and cruising down hills. I have been slowly collecting all of my cycling gear and bike, I call Greta. I find some inner peace when cycling; it’s a time I can think and push negative thoughts out of my mind. I also love where my bike can take me, the view from a bike seems so much sweeter than one of a car.
On Community
I think the culture for cycling is developing as more and more female riders are entering the sport. I certainly think some things need to change like proper and equal media coverage of the women’s competitions. However, I feel hopeful that all the strong woman I see will continue making the sport better.
On Inspiration
The entire US women’s national soccer team really inspires me; their dedication to not only the sport but also bringing attention to equality issues really makes me feel proud and encouraged.
On Accomplishments
I have overcome 4 years of illness! From bronchitis to mono and numerous emergency room visits, I was still able to graduate college cum laude which is something I am extremely grateful and proud of.
On challenges
Finding a balance between work and fun. Some days feel really long and it’s hard to push myself to get moving onto a run/walk/ride.
On Motivation
I get really motivated by following certain pages on social media; I feel so much better when I see positive messages and body diversity on my feed. My favourite quote is from We Bought A Zoo, “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”
