As part of the ABA's overall mission to advocate, develop, and facilitate bicycling for Albertans, and vision to be the recognized authority and leader for bicycling in Alberta, one of my primary goals as a board member is to see more women joining ABA-sanctioned clubs and attending sanctioned events and races. I personally believe that female experiences and values are unique and much more varied compared to those of men, and therefore, we require a better understanding of the different stories and perspectives of women to be able to confront the barriers or challenges that prevent more women from getting into cycling, and more specifically, attending organized events and races.
With this in mind, we are planning to host a Conference for Women in Cycling on Saturday, November 16 in Red Deer Alberta. This event will be free to attend, and we will be providing refreshments and lunch for all participants. The goal of this event is to bring together female cyclists, coaches, and organizers from all disciplines, abilities, and age categories, in order to have an open discussion about increasing participation in cycling and organized cycling events. Discussion topics will be semi-structured, and we will also provide opportunities to break out into small groups during the day. A tentative schedule will be sent out in the coming weeks as we work out the details. With the overarching goal of increasing the number of girls and women attending and re-attending events, we are hoping to have both racers and non-racers attend the conference so that we can gain insight into the varied experiences and opinions that people have regarding racing and organized events. We are also hoping to have attendees join us from Saskatchewan, which will provide perspectives on women's cycling in that province, and will also provide the opportunity for a meet and greet with our Eastern neighbours.
If you are interested in attending the conference, please RSVP to heather@albertabicycle.ab.ca. If you have any input or ideas for the conference, we would love to hear those too, or if you'd like to help out please feel free to contact Heather or I at any time. Finally, and most importantly, please feel free to forward this email to any ladies in your clubs or riding circles that you think may be interested in attending. We want to hear from everyone!
Thanks, and enjoy the fall riding,
Shantel