This Mothers Day we spoke to one of our fabulous Yeti Cycles Ambassadors Ashley (Ash) Peters!
If you don't already know the infectious laugh of this lovely lady, Ash is Mama to Brook and the founder of a very special non-profit Mountain Biking organisation called WORD (World Off-Road Riding Department).
We wanted to delve deeper into how Ash keeps the adventures rolling in her life and unpack how being a mother has changed her, so we asked her to write us a quick overview on how its going...
"I’m lucky to have spent the past 20 years working in the outdoor industry- camp counsellor, raft guide, event planner, cycle tour guide, and mountain bike instructor. When you’re in those roles you learn heaps about adapting- whether it’s due to weather, people’s fitness/abilities, or last minute closures. It's about making the best of the situation you have at the time. It’s like having a plan b,c,d,e and f and now this is part of who I am.
So over the last 2 years of being pregnant and actually having a small human, I have taken the approach of having fewer expectations and adapting where I can. I want to say yes to adventure - it just means making some adaptations so they can happen.
For example:
The WORD originals are now 17-22 years olds. They have been with WORD since the early days (almost 10 years ago?!). We planned a bikepacking trip from Wellington to Wānaka and it just so happened that the trip took place when I was 20 weeks pregnant! I really didn’t want to miss it, so with the help from a gravel ebike and the amazing attitudes from the teens (I slept in cabins along the way while they were in tents!), we all got there.
The local women meet for a ride on Wednesdays, while I wasn’t feeling up for biking just yet, I walked with the babes to meet the girls for the start of the ride to say hi.
Embracing tramping! Those hiking backpacks are amazing… and while it took a little while to feel up to it, it’s been fun to explore trails that aren’t open to bikes. So I guess in a way it feels like nothing has changed… still searching for adventures and yet everything has changed….I now have a little buddy to do it with.
I am ever so stoked to be on this ride with some amazing friends and of course, my man Ranger. He is the one who carries the extra snacks.
Keep an eye out for our movie OnWORD premiering later this year.
You can follow Ash on Insta @ashlikesbikes
You can follow Word on Insta @wordnz or check out www.word.org.nz
Ash was the 2022 recipient of the Sport NZ Suzie Simcock Future Leaders Scholarship!!!
WORD (World Off-road Riding Department) is a youth mountain bike charity founded by Ash on 2013 on a mission to save the world one ride at at time! They provide after school programmes, holiday camps, youth leadership opportunities and adventure trips for 7-17 year old tamariki and rangitahi across Aotearoa. They are committed and passionate about creating awesome experiences to build youth confidence, develop new friendships, and foster a life-long love of mountain biking.
