Ep. 4 Feats of Strength
Picture an adventure cyclist. What do they look like?
In Episode Four, we hear from women whose perspectives on athleticism and privilege have been shaped by their backgrounds, their bodies, and their love of the outdoors. Each of them lives in a body that traditionally isn’t associated with adventure. Yet here they are, riding across states and countries, and working to ensure they’re not the last.
Their stories reveal the absurdity of widely held misconceptions about who rides and why they want to.
Featuring
Stephanie Puello, academic services/Ph.D. student
Before starting a Ph.D. program in public affairs, Stephanie cycled across the country with her partner Austin. The more people she talked to along the route, the more she began to wonder whether she was the first Black woman to cycle the TransAmerica Trail self-supported. It was an experience like no other — one she wrote about for the Adventure Cyclist blog and on her personal website Following Cairns.
Stephanie also runs the Denver chapter of Black Girls Do Bike and is a Pearl Izumi Ambassador.
Marley Blonsky, sustainability manager/fat activist
As a fat cyclist, Marley has had to work to find the brands and bikes that meet her needs. As a result, she’s become an advocate for body size inclusivity in cycling, partnering with Kailey Kornhauser to spread the message to cycling brands, bicycle manufacturers, and cycling organizations across the country.
Follow her adventures on her website Life on Two Wheels and on Instagram.
Kailey Kornhauser, Ph.D. student/fat activist
Kailey and a friend rode 1,000 miles from Seward to Deadhorse in Alaska as a recipient of Lael Rides Alaska Scholarship. Her experience of not having a raincoat that would fit caught the attention of Marley Blonsky, and their friendship and partnership in activism was born. Off the bike, Kailey is a Ph.D. student in forestry in Oregon.
Kailey shares her cycling adventures on Instagram.
