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| Vanderkitten Pros Liza Rachetto & Miranda Griffiths Image by Jason Perry |
I love our Vanderkitten VIP team -- 180 amazing athletes spread out around the globe, connected through social media and a shared value to empower each other to reach our goals. Together we encourage each other, motivate one another, and celebrate our accomplishments together. Kara, Ami, Shannon, Rose, Sandrine, Ashley, Sybil, Alana, Becca, Fiona, Clemmy, Lynda, Janay, Mollie, Kati, Lindsay, Liza, (o.k... too many to list)... What an amazing group of women. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this experience and look forward to many adventures this summer. (Including crewing RAAM for VIP Joan Deitchman! Wahoo!)
The backbone of our little tribe of kittens comes from Vanderkitten founder Dave Verrecchia, race director Jono Coulter, and the Vanderkitten pro team. When they say their mission is to help promote equality in sports and to empower ordinary women to achieve extraordinary things, it isn't just lip service or a catchy slogan. They mean it. They do it. They make it possible by being incredibly generous, supportive, and accessible. A total class act. Pretty cool.
The pro racers of Vanderkitten are in action this week with The Vuelta el Salvador and Old Pueblo Grand Prix. Headed to Tucson for the OPGP are pros Tiffany Pezzulo and Fiona Strouts, sidelined rider Emily Kachorek, (recovering from a broken jaw), development riders Libby Caldwell and Katie Quinn and VK founder Dave Verrecchia. (Kudos to the Arizona VKVIPs for their work in getting the pro riders to OPGP). In conjunction, Jono Coulter headed to San Salvador with pros Liza Rachetto, Jeannie Kuhajek, Rhae Shaw, Amy Charity, Miranda Griffiths and Kate Chilcott. Awesome!
Also on the VK 2014 pro roster: Korina Huizar, (whose season started in Belgium last week for the Spring Classics with USA Cycling), Elle Anderson, Sophie Williamson, and Gillian Carleton. (Fourteen-year-old development rider Kennedy Hill joins the team as well.) Fun stuff.
I'm so jazzed to be cheering for the Vanderkitten pro women's crew -- supporting the epically awesome team that supports us. (Thanks, Dave and Jono!)
Go get 'em kittens!
