#specializedwmn

[cyclingbaby]

[crosshatchedknees-dottedeyes]

Another day on the trainer. Because hail and snow.

[specializeditalia]

Giusto per sapere com'è andata a finire; la #Crux ha poi aspettato @rebigariboldi ed insieme hanno vinto alla gara di apertura del Trofeo 🏆 Lombardia-Piemonte di Ciclocross. Brava @rebigariboldi 👊 regram @rebigariboldi La mia Specialized Crux mi sta aspettando, ora mi preparo anche io 😛😁🙋🏼 #specializedwmn #yourrideyourrules #iamspecialized #TeamIsolmant #SalvibikeStore

[citymdracing]

Well, hello there Madame Ambassador - A Post from AG Rider Stephanie Kaplan

I have been on cloud nine the last few days, and my husband has taken to calling me “Madame Ambassador.” No, I didn’t pass the Foreign Service Exam and get fast tracked to a top post in a foreign country…even better! Hah.

Early this year one of my FAVE bike shops, Bicycles NYC, sent me an email linking to the Specialized Women’s Ambassador application. They thought that I might be interested in applying…shoot, who DOESN’T want a free bike?! Hah.  So, on a whim I filled out the short questionnaire and then went about my life. A life that lately has been packed with a LOT of happenings including a trip to Ethiopia...

For the last three years I have had the pleasure and honor of working at one of the best non-profits (in NYC and beyond), African Services Committee. My job as the Communications Director here has been one of the most challenging, rewarding and fulfilling jobs I have had — and I have had a few different jobs since college. Our founder established several clinics in his home country of Ethiopia, and I was finally asked to head to Ethiopia to document the work that we are doing there. I had always dreamed of this day, and it was finally here. So, on March 5th I hopped on a GRUELING 13-hour flight to Dubai and then a slightly less grueling 5-hour flight from there to Addis Ababa. The 15 days I spent there were enlightening and inspirational…and getting back on the African continent truly reminded me of the reasons I fell in love with it during my Peace Corps stint, and why I’m certain that I need to spend even more time there. Ethiopia is a vibrant and bustling country, much more developed than my first love, Burkina Faso (sorry guys). International investment and development is in high gear, and you can see that the future is bright for this beautiful country. My job while there was to document the work that we were doing (through photos and video) and to learn and observe as much as I could so that I might play a greater supportive role from our offices in NYC.

While on my trip in Ethiopia I happened to pop on to email — it’s PAINFULLY slow there — and saw an email that took my breath away. It was from Olivia Bleitz at Specialized, telling me that I had made it to the next round of the Ambassador application process…a phone interview. Luckily we were able to postpone until after I returned from my trip abroad, and after over 36 hours without sleep — I can’t even tell you how hellish my return flight was….HORRIBLE — I hopped myself up on multiple cups of coffee and got on the phone. Luckily for me, she was forgiving of my senseless ramblings and for whatever reason, after several days of deliberation, I received the email that I had been selected as a 2013 Specialized Women’s Ambassador. I’m not going to lie…the attraction of a beautiful and FREE new Specialized road bike (HELLO S-Works Amira please!) was definitely enticing, but that really wasn’t what attracted me to the program in the first place. I can remember back to the first time I hopped on my bike in New York City, and all of the supportive people (in the NYCC C-SIG and the AG Triathlon Club) that donated their time and knowledge to help me conquer my fear of riding my bike, and I can’t help but imagine where I would be if those people hadn’t been so generous and supportive. Maybe I never would have purchased a bike, maybe I never would have participated in the NYC Triathlon, or ridden to Bear Mountain, or competed in my first bike race. I may never have discovered this sport that I love, never met these people that I now call my best friends, nor seen the vistas and panoramas of all the places my bike has since taken me.

Since that time, although I honestly don’t consider myself an ‘ambassador’ of the sport, I have tried to support and encourage those around me to put their fears aside…and just get on their bike. Whether that’s commuting to work or riding a century…there is so much joy and beauty that can be seen and experienced from the seat of your bicycle. I let fear keep me from riding in the city, and it is only thanks to those few people that dedicated their time to help me that my life was TRULY changed. From the NYCC C-SIG rides in 2010 to calling myself a ‘bike racer’ in 2013…it has been quite an adventure. My Asphalt Green Cycling Team teammates and I joke that we don’t remember our lives BEFORE we were racers and friends…and thinking back on it, it’s funny to even imagine it. My life is consumed with my bike now…from early morning training rides, to cramming the car to head to road races on the weekend…and I love every minute of it. It has enriched my life so much it almost makes me want to cry when I think about it — and I would HATE for someone to miss out on that feeling and experience, especially out of fear. 

So, THANK YOU to Specialized for choosing me to represent your AMAZING brand and for allowing me the opportunity to have a platform to hopefully do my SMALL part in growing the sport of cycling and the interest in getting on a bike. On April 4th I will hop on a plane to California to meet the other 4 amazing women selected to represent Specialized for the year. I’m sure we will learn a TON about Specialized bikes, apparel and the brand…and I am more than certain that some beautiful riding will be had. Once again…my bike is taking me places…and for that I am grateful!

Stay tuned for more adventures…I will surely be updating you on my trip to Specialized HQ