Roxy first came to Colorado from Mexico excited to visit her dad, whom she hadn’t seen in seven years. During her stay, she was presented with a very difficult decision: whether to go back to Mexico with her mom or stay in Colorado with her dad to go to school and learn English. At a young age, she decided that staying in Colorado would be the best option for her future.

Roxy’s courage in making decisions for her future brought her to The Cycle Effect in 2020. On her first day at The Cycle Effect, Roxy and her teammates shared some of the skills they had learned that they could transfer to any aspect of their lives. Roxy said:

“Today I learned that there are many barriers in my life that are not real. Limitations that I have created for myself that are only in my head. I thought that coming to The Cycle Effect would be really hard because you would make me get on a bike and tell me to stay on it. But that’s not it at all. When I saw that hill I thought there was no way I was going to make it to the top. What I learned was that I can make it up the hill even if I walk. Most importantly I don’t have to do it alone, there’s a whole team to support me.”

Needless to say, Roxy keeps coming back to her team at The Cycle Effect. After a fall, a coach asked her if she was going to stop coming, and she said, “You think I would give up after one fall? No way!” Roxy doesn’t let a fall stop her. She continues to go to practice, even when she can’t ride, ready to support her team.

At The Cycle Effect, what we teach off the bike is just as important as what we teach on the bike. Our coaches are dedicated to mentoring our young athletes to develop leadership skills and grit. As a team, we have learned to say, “¡echale ganas!” which means, “give it your all!” As our athletes put in the effort, we see them grow their confidence and start to step into leadership roles on the bike, off the bike, and beyond. In 2020, 100% of athletes reported increased self-esteem and confidence and 77% of participants reported taking on a leadership role with their team or community.

Roxy exemplifies The Cycle Effect’s values as she listens, supports, motivates, and cheers on her teammates with compassion and courage. Roxy herself finds support from coaches and mentors at The Cycle Effect to keep going when life, or the trail gets hard. Our team learns just as much from her as she continues to learn from her experience.

This year, Roxy was highlighted by the Women’s Sports Foundation at their Annual Salute Event in New York City. She was featured among Naomi Osaka and Allyson Felix, some of the most influential women athletes of our time. Roxy is a true testament to what is possible for young women in our program.

*Sophia Gianfrancisco (TCE Grants manager), Billie Jean King, Isabel Rodriguez (TCE Summit County Manager), and Roxy at the Women’s Sports Foundation Annual Salute in New York City!*

At The Cycle Effect, we are dedicated to empowering young women through mountain biking to create brighter futures and build stronger communities. The program focuses on physical wellness, mentorship and community impact, and building brighter futures. We see our participants’ self-esteem, grit, and overall mental health improve while reaching goals they never thought were possible. Because of your support last year, we are able to provide transportation to and from our practice locations for our athletes, in addition to providing bikes, uniforms, and all necessary gear. Thank you for caring and offering your support to make a difference.

YOU are the reason that our program continues to thrive. This year in partnership with the Outride Fund, every dollar you donate will be matched up to $15,000. We hope you will consider making a gift towards our $15,000 Matching Gift Challenge to help support more young women in 2022.

Can we count on you to help us receive an additional $15,000 through the Outride Fund to continue to provide equality, empowerment, and access to young women through mountain biking?

Increase the impact of your gift when you donate now through the end of the year.

The Cycle Effect Feature - Women's Sports Foundation Annual Salute

Meet Roxy: A Creative and Compassionate Leader.

Iara Melgarejo: The Cycle Effect Shaped Me to Who I am Today

A Matching Grant Challenge to bring The Cycle Effect to Routt in 2022