ABOUT US

Mission Statement- Building and empowering a community of women through group mountain bike rides.

Vision Statement- Every member gains confidence on and off her bike.

WMBA strives to create an inclusive cycling community for all races and ethnicities. We use the term “Girls” loosely, welcoming anyone who identifies as female (cis or transgender) and nonbinary and genderqueer folks who identify with the women’s community.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Katie Branham

Board Chair

​​Katie joined WMBA her first summer living in Colorado Springs, and was immediately hooked on the supportive community and camaraderie found on the group rides. She started on the WMBA race team in 2014, and has volunteered with WMBA every year since. Her board term started in 2019 and runs through 2022.

She started mountain biking in the flatlands of Indiana in 2009, and was a timid beginner until she started attending a women’s skills clinic and saw the benefits and confidence that proper mountain bike coaching can provide. Inspired to help other women gain that same confidence, Katie pursued her own instructor certification in 2015 and has gone on to complete her BICP Level 2 and PMBIA Level 1 certifications.

Katie works in public relations and marketing with experience in the outdoor industry and Olympic and Paralympic sport. She currently works at Wayfarer Vans as the chief storyteller, though her most demanding job is being a mom. 

You’ll catch her most days on her Yeti Beti mountain bike, but her favorite bike is her cruiser electric bike (complete with light-up spinners) for commuting.

Tracie Long

Board Secretary & Sponsorship Chair

Tracie had never ridden a mountain bike before moving to CO in 2020. She only had a road bike, but after moving to CO she hadn’t even dusted it off before she got a taste of mountain biking and that was it!

She joined WMBA for the 2021 season and was hooked. She credits the WMBA rides with her progress as a rider. Much like Ashley, WMBA and mountain biking enabled her to find a social group and friends in a new city in the midst of a pandemic. She enjoys her weekly WMBA rides and riding with her husband, son and friends. Her preference is downhill over XC. Though she doesn’t mind earning the downhill with the climb, but likely won't be the first up!

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Tracie works in the insurance industry. So it is probably her fault if you need to sign a waiver or complete a lengthy accident report if you are injured on a ride (we hope that never happens). 

In addition to biking, she enjoys downhill skiing and hiking with her family.

Ashley Anderson

Race Team & Events Committee Chair

Ashley is thrilled to have the opportunity to volunteer as a WMBA Board Member, as she has benefited immensely from the support and guidance of the WMBA community both on and off the bike. Ashley started mountain biking in 2020 when she moved back to Colorado Springs, and credits it with helping her find a sense of belonging and empowerment amidst a global pandemic. 

In her professional career, Ashley has served as an Air Force intelligence officer, a law clerk to a federal judge, and an attorney at a Washington, DC law firm. She is currently serving as the Lyon Chair in Professional Ethics in the Philosophy Department at the US Air Force Academy. Ashley also volunteers with the Rocky Mountain Veterans Advocacy Project, which provides legal representation to veterans in need. She holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, a M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.S. in Political Science from the US Air Force Academy. 

In addition to playing on bikes, Ashley loves snowboarding and Nordic skiing, taking long walks with her dog, and attempting to learn new arts and crafts.