The story of the fastest woman in the United States
by Jim Fitzgerald
With NORBA eliminating the prize purse for pro racers in 2003 and sponsorship dollars dwindling, these are difficult times for racers. Few people are as familiar with the hardships of making it as a pro racer as the winner of the women’s 2003 U.S. National Cross-Country Championship title, Mary McConneloug.
“In the past I have gone into debt racing my bike,” says Mary. “Many people think that once you go pro, you have it made. This is hardly the case. These days it is hard to come by the financial support to race.”
Before Mary made a paying career out of racing, she made it a way of life and relied on family and thriftiness to make it possible. At the beginning of 2002, she was without a title sponsor, but showed up at the first NORBA national fit and ready to race.
Though she didn’t break the top five, Seven Cycles saw potential in her racing ability and signed on as the title sponsor she needed.
“It was such a relief to get the financial support and quite amazing to get on my first custom-built bike — especially at a time when all my doubts of what I was doing were looming over me.”
Currently, Mary is heading into her third season of mountain bike and cyclocross racing for Seven Cycles and hopes to use her success to set a positive example for others.
“Even though I am still just barely getting by financially, I consider myself lucky to live the way I do. To race my mountain bike is a fabulous lifestyle,” she says. “I want people to see that with dedication and hard work, the ‘impossible’ can be achieved. I want people to be inspired to ride or race their bikes…it is a key to happiness.”
MTB racing in Cyprus: The chase for points begins
VeloNews online, February 2004—by Jason Sumner