LEAH KIRCHMANN

ROAD RACER, OLYMPIAN

Sport has taught me so many valuable life lessons with things like teamwork, goal-setting and building confidence, and has also allowed me to travel and connect with incredible people across the world. I started cycling at a young age and benefited from being surrounded by strong female mentors, so I hope that I can also fill that role for young and upcoming riders to help with their development. Recently, It was fun to team up with the Liv/giant Toronto women’s cycling team to host a women’s ride out of the Grupetto Café in Dundas, Ont. We had a great turnout and I was really encouraged by the number of young riders who joined us for the ride. Fast and Female is a non-profit organization with the goal of female empowerment through sport. I have volunteered at quite a few events over the years. They connect Olympians and elite athlete ambassadors with young female athletes in the community. Studies show that girls drop out of sports at six times the rate of boys in their early teens, so the goal of these events is to highlight the fun and positive values of staying healthy and active.