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7 women who will amaze you
AS YOU READ THIS, AN AWESOME fitness feat is taking place. Twenty women - from Gen Xers to grandmas - are sweating their butts off on a cross-country bike ride called Girl on the Move. Says the group's founder, Robyn Reed, "We'll be holding festivals in five cities aimed at building self-esteem in girls through sports. There are fitness challenges (like a 35-foot-tall climbing tower) and appearances by Olympians, including Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug and Kristine Lilly." The 3,865-mile ,10-week ride began in Portland, 0regon, last month and ends in New York City on November 16. (You can log on to www.girlsonthemove.com for more information or to sign up for a 5- to 10-mile leg of the trip.) This past spring, SELF met these cyclists - each of whom has overcome her own obstacles - at a training camp in Atlanta. Come along for the ride and be inspired by their get-fit, feel-great message. -Carolyn Mackler
The Wunderkind
"I'll love seeing the smiles on all the girls' faces," says Rae Gaa, 24, who overcame poverty and a troubled adolescence (including drug char) ands now the youngest female instructor at the North Carolina Outward Bound School in Asheville.
The Proud Mom
"If a woman my age can ride across the United States, just think what incredible things you can accomplish," says B.J. Reed, 59, whose daughter Robyn, founded Girls on the Move.
The Wheelchair Whiz
"Oh my God, I've got to get stronger," was Candace Cable's first thought after she was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident at age 21, "When you're stronger you can do more-and your confidence rises," says Cable (above, left), now 46, who has won six Boston marathons in the wheelchair-racing division. This ride will make her the first woman to propel a hand cycle cross-country.
The Blind Powerhouse
"Being blind all my life, it would've been easy to give up on my dreams and goals. Instead, I challenged myself," says Nancy Stevens (right), 39, who rides tandem with a partner. She also skied on the U.S. disabled cross-country team in 1998, and is a skilled speed-skater and ski racer who teaches blind people to downhill ski.
The Role Model
"Having had a kidney transplant three years ago, I was nervouse about making this trip," says Denile Hill, 28. "But my 10-year-old daughter said, 'Mom, you are a great role model. Go out and show other girls what you've shown me.'"
The True Survivor
"As a teenager, I lost my self confidence. I felt unlovable," says Georgia Komons, 25, who was shuttled through the foster-care system after her father murdered her mother when she was 14. "I'm supporting the race to show other girls that they can do great things with their lives, even if they have a difficult past."
The "Age Doesn't Matter!" Rider
There are going to be many days when we have to ride 100 miles and hit lots of hills, But I love it!" says seasoned cyclist Muriel Mota, 72, who logs more than 9,000 miles a year. At age 11, she and her family fled Nazi Germany for the United States. "I felt different from all the other kids and my self-image was poor," says Mota. She found solace in outdoor sport and has been active ever since. Sometimes I worry I won't be able to finish a ride-but I always do."