Seasoned Girls’ Mountain Bike Coach Joins The Cycle Effect in Mesa County

Grand Junction, Colo. – May 1, 2020 -- Tina Ooley, a well-known skills coach, mentor and founder of the Durango-based youth mountain biking program, EveryPedal MTB, has joined The Cycle Effect as the Mesa County Program Manager. 

Originally from Ocean City, NJ, Tina moved to Prescott, AZ in 1999 where she started a family and then discovered a profound connection to biking and the mountain biking community.  In 2012, they relocated to Durango where she started earning coaching certifications and experience, first with Durango Devo and then building her own mentor-based mountain biking program.  Tina has also traveled extensively to coach for the Trek Dirt Series and other organizations. 

”I have found my life’s work in helping others to discover themselves through the sport of mountain biking.  Having the opportunity to join a program like The Cycle Effect, which does such an excellent job of creating access to bicycles and the outdoors, is truly an honor.  I am so excited to help them get more young women on mountain bikes in the communities of Mesa County,” Tina said.

Through a multi-year grant awarded by The Colorado Health Foundation, The Cycle Effect is expanding their Girls Mountain Bike Program to offer year-round programming to participants in Mesa County. 

The Cycle Effect’s mission is to empower young women through mountain biking to create brighter futures and build stronger communities. Participants are given the opportunity to engage in the sport of mountain biking and racing without the boundary of cost. Through riding bikes and competing, the program keeps girls on a healthy path, while helping to place them in the local workforce and find college funding. Most importantly, the after-school program embeds life skills to forge a successful path toward educational, economic, and family success.

“The Cycle Effect is so excited to expand into Mesa and Tina is the perfect person to help us do that. She is a natural fit to join The Cycle Effect team and take charge of our new program growth. She will be a pivotal team member to continued success in helping change the trajectory of young women’s lives,” adds Brett Donelson, Executive Director of The Cycle Effect

In 2019, The Cycle Effect worked with 165 young women across Eagle and Summit Counties, 70% of which identified as low income and 62% identified as Latina. By expanding programming to Mesa County, The Cycle Effect will be able to have a direct impact on well over 200 young lives and further strengthen equity across the state.