We’re committed to lifting others through the pursuit of cycling and have dedicated our entire operation to helping people ride safely and confidently. As a brand that believes cycling is for everyone, we’re thrilled to launch our partnership with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) in special support of their “Girls Riding Together” initiative (GRiT).
“I know there are kids who struggle and don’t get really to be kids except for those golden moments when they are riding their bikes. Some may say “it’s just biking,” but it isn’t just biking. For some of these kids, it is a way to heal the hurt, peel away the scars, and to see the beauty underneath. There is power in biking. There is power in community. There is power when we go beyond ourselves and see the potential in others.”
– NICA Coach John Buchanan of the Linganore Mountain Bike Team in Maryland
Founded in 2009, NICA develops interscholastic mountain biking programs for student-athletes across the United States. NICA’s overall mission is to build strong minds, bodies, characters and communities through cycling and the Terry team shares this vision. In pursuit of its mission, NICA establishes leagues at a regional level, to improve the lives of teens across the country and positively impact their communities through coaching, racing, adventure activities, and trail stewardship, all with a big focus on mountain biking. All of the programs are based on the pillars of NICA’s values: fun, inclusivity, equity, respect, and community.
FUN: NICA inspires friendship, joy and adventure.
INCLUSIVITY: NICA believes everyone should be able to participate in their programs and feel welcomed, respected, and supported.
EQUITY: NICA is committed to fair treatment, equal access, opportunity, advancement, and the elimination of barriers to encourage participation for all.
RESPECT: NICA expects consideration for all others, oneself, and the outdoors.
COMMUNITY: NICA unites diverse people, families, and communities through cycling by creating fun and welcoming experiences.
Start Small & Dream Big
NICA’s philosophy is that it isn’t hard to build and empower a cycling community when you remember to start small and dream big. With this perspective, their first league of five students in Northern California quickly blossomed into its current state which hosts 31 leagues across the country, over 25,500 student-athletes, and approximately 14,400 registered coaches.
“The sport of mountain biking is truly impactful for all, but especially for female riders. The challenge and adventure inherent in the sport develops confidence, competence, and leadership, along with a deep sense of community and belonging among girls and women who participate.”
Girls Riding Together
Girls Riding Together is NICA’s concentrated effort to get more girls on bikes – something we are extremely into, as well. Currently, girls represent only 22% of NICA’s overall national student-athlete participation. With the help of Terry and other dedicated sponsors, NICA seeks to increase this number significantly and bridge the opportunity gap.
GRiT recognizes many girls and women need different things to feel welcomed and invited in athletics, especially in a male-dominated sport like mountain biking. To enact their mission of inclusion for all, GRiT coordinators are elected to each league to create a more welcoming environment for girls to join in on NICA programs by hosting girls-only events, rides, camps, clinics, and socializing opportunities. GRiT focuses on both recruitment and retention to ensure female riders keep riding after their first year and develop a lifelong relationship with cycling. GRiT exists to give the women of tomorrow incredible experiences and opportunities that will inspire them to seek inclusivity and equity wherever they go.
The girls of GRiT and NICA have gone on to enter the world of pro cycling, become lifelong singletrack adventurers, league coaches, and volunteers, as well as everyday riders continuing to stoke future generations on the joy and confidence-building power of cycling. In fact, the majority of NICA’s leagues are currently directed by women. Their determination and courage to take leadership positions serve as an empowering example to ALL NICA student-athletes, specifically those who joined the movement through GRiT.
“We at Terry see the great potential of GRiT to nurture more young girls into a lifetime of women’s cycling.” says Terry President/CEO, Liz Robert. “We are thrilled to be able to support the GRiT girls, as well as all the coordinators, league leaders, coaches, and devoted mothers and fans who are so critical to making GRiT a success.”
“Through GRiT, we work to create a truly inclusive, welcoming and empowering environment for women and girls, so that they can experience the transformative power of this sport,” says Amanda Carey, NICA President. “We are so grateful for the support of Terry, which will enable us to expand these opportunities and invite more women and girls into our community.”
“I think for young athletes just starting out, knowing that there is no pressure and as long as you keep finding passion and joy in the sport, everything else will fall into place. The most important thing is that you have that ‘why’ for loving your bike. And, there’s a lot more to life than just being a good cyclist. Ultimately, your character is what defines you.“
– Madigan Munro NICA Alumni and current Trek Factory Pro Racer
As a sponsor 100% dedicated to making cycling a more comfortable experience, Terry will offer exclusive discounts to student-athletes, coaches, coordinators, league directors, and dedicated NICA parents and guardians on our innovative apparel, saddles, and accessories. Terry will help fund and spread awareness of programs within the NICA network as well as assist in coach education and leadership development—training more women to be leaders who help implement and expand GRiT and invoking male coaches as allies to the GRiT initiative. Additionally, Terry will be supplying NICA’s steadfast GRiT Coordinators with special-edition Soleil Long Sleeve Jerseys. These special-edition jerseys will also be available for fans to purchase on Terry’s retail website, with all proceeds benefitting NICA/GRiT programming. Terry and NICA will share their resources and work in tandem to make the sport of mountain biking accessible to all regardless of background or ability.
How You Can Get Involved
NICA exists because of the generous support and collective power of thousands of individual actions from sponsors, donors, and volunteers. If the interscholastic cycling movement moves you, please consider making a financial contribution or donating your time to help get one more kid on a bike! Join us in inspiring a lifelong devotion to the outdoors, to navigating tough trails, and finding strength through cycling.
Donate to your local NICA League:
https://nationalmtb.org/nica-leagues/
Donate to NICA national to support inclusive programming across the organization:
Volunteer:
NICA is always looking for enthusiastic and dedicated people to help get more girls and more kids on bikes! Learn more and join the middle and high school cycling revolution today!
https://nationalmtb.org/nica-volunteer-program/
For more information on NICA, visit www.nationalmtb.org and follow @nationalMTB on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
For more information regarding the NICA x TERRY Partnership, please contact:
Camarin Martins Raine, Terry Communications Coordinator
cmartins@terrybicycles.com
I am SO EXCITED to see this! I’m a NICA coach and a long time Terry cycling fan-THANK YOU! This is a great partnership!
Thanks for your kind note, Ellison! We couldn’t be more excited ourselves!