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Tales from the (philanthropic) peloton
Beyond the horizon: The Verizon Wireless Women's Cycling Team
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It is always interesting to look different cycling teams to find out what brings them together as a team and what drives them individually. On the US circuit at the moment, there’s a unique group of individuals that have come together through selfless ambition: The Verizon Wireless Women's Cycling Team. Kristy Scrymgeour went to the root of their cause to find out what makes them tick.
Since its inception, the Verizon Wireless has set a new standard in the sport of cycling, pledging their prize money to charitable causes. It is a non-profit cycling team, donating all of their winnings to select charitable organizations.
Show others the money!
This year, the team committed to donating its race winnings to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program, to raise awareness of domestic violence organizations. With estimates ranging from 960,000 to three million women who are physically abused by their husband or partner each year, the team hopes to help end abuse. In 2003, the team won over $4,500, which will be donated to domestic violence awareness programs supported by HopeLine - bringing their lifetime donations to over $20,000. Next year, they hope to further highlight their association with HopeLine, specifically to promote the phone recycling program with Verizon Wireless that goes to support HopeLine.
The goals of the team are to produce a visible change in the awareness of domestic violence, as well as to encourage the people they encounter to become active participants in supporting this cause. Simply being at the races and wearing their jerseys helps to raise the number of people who see domestic violence as directly impacting their lives. In addition to racing, the team hopes to empower other groups, racing and non-racing, to help with this cause. Through public appearances outside of racing and simple word of mouth, they hope to involve the communities they travel to for races, as well as their own neighbors and friends. The more people the team can touch, the more people are aware of domestic violence and what they can do to help.
This year, the team consisted of ten women, all with full-time jobs outside of cycling. Some professions of the women are: an engineer at a pharmaceutical firm, a secondary school science teacher, a physical therapist, a dietician, a business owner, and a former Broadway singer. All of the women are dedicated to the team’s mission, 'Women Helping Women!'.
Grooming future talent
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Team director Eric Fleming ever-enthusiastic about the sport and the cause. "For me, helping the Verizon Wireless team has been very rewarding. As my wife, Julie Monagle, founded the team with Patrick Rowland, I stepped in to support the organizational side of the team and relieve Julie and Patrick of this additional stress. It has been great to watch the progression of the team, from a local team in New England in 2000 to a team that is competitive on the national circuit in 2003. We have been fortunate to have had many great riders as members of the team who have moved on to the professional ranks - Cindy Bauwens (Vlaanderen T-Interim-Eddy Merckx), Laura Van Gilder (Saturn), Andrea Hannos (RONA), Erinne Willock (RONA), Helen Kelly (TDS), and Shani Bloch. All of the women on the team have been great to work with and all have been fully committed to our cause of donating our race winnings to HopeLine.
"We hope to continue our growth at the national level while remaining committed to our New England base," adds Fleming. "Verizon Wireless has been a great sponsor since the team's inception and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them. We are very excited about 2004 and are in the process of finalizing our team and sponsors. We are proud to announce Belmont Wheelworks bicycle shop as a new sponsor for 2004."
Girl talk
With such an enthusiastic director, no wonder the program works so well, and all the girls I met from the team really ooze enthusiasm.
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Julie Monagle is in her seventh season of road racing and is a founding member of the Verizon Wireless Cervélo Women's cycling team. "Growing up I always loved my bikes and riding all over the neighborhood," she says. "I even got books on fixing bikes so that I could keep the nuts and bolts from falling on the Sears bike that I inherited!
"Throughout junior high and high school, I competed in swimming, track and cross country, and did a sprint triathlon in high school. After graduating from college and joining the working world, I started competing in triathlons and met a great group of friends in the New Haven, CT area that were competitive cyclists and ended up spending tons of time riding with them. I eventually found that cycling was my strength out of the three events and eventually transitioned over to just bike racing.
"I feel very fortunate to be part of an organization that allows me to compete in a sport that I love and at the same time contribute to people in need. What I've found is that all of the women really truly want to contribute to the cause both by winning money and by raising awareness of the problem of domestic violence. People suffer from domestic violence every day; it gives you something to think about when you think that you're really suffering in a race or that you're having a bad day training."
"(Next year), I hope to be able to work a bit less," says Monagle with a growing smile, "and focus more on results at the bigger races. I love to see the level of competition getting stronger each year. I feel proud of the way the team has evolved and our ability to perform at the local level and to compete at the national level. In a sport where there is not a lot of funding for women, we have also taken on a role of being somewhat of a feeder team for the bigger teams. I believe that this is a good way for us to contribute to the sport."
As well as working full time and racing, Amanda Tucker spends time coaching junior alpine racers at the Killington Mountain School.
"My initial reason for riding with this team was surely the fundraising aspect - and four years later, that continues to be my motivation!" says an enthusiastic Tucker. "It puts a whole different slant on the rigors of training, traveling and racing. Knowing that our contributions are donated to a cause as critical as domestic violence is a huge payoff for our efforts. It also sets us apart from most other teams that we compete with, helping to forge a different sort of bond that we all share. My recent attendance at a Verizon Wireless store opening was extremely positive, as I was able to meet the director of the shelter that we were making a donation to. Her appreciation on behalf of the shelter was so gratifying!"
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A former Broadway singer-dancer, Ann Marie Miller is a fitness expert, her routines have been featured in leading magazines, newspapers and web sites, and she presented fitness features for many television and radio broadcasts. "Cycling found me more than I chose cycling," says Miller."
"I had always been a runner, and after getting a bicycle to run errands and commute around New York, friends suggested that because I ran and had a bike, I should try duathlons. I began doing group rides to train for cycling, and tried racing after I overheard a friend say that bike racing had improved her bike handling skills. I had absolutely no illusions about getting results - I just thought it would help me become a better cyclist if I tried racing. I discovered that I was a better biker than runner, and started getting results quickly. I decided to go with what appeared to be my strength, and bike racing has become my primary sport. I am probably the only former Broadway singer-dancer in the peloton, and I have been known to belt out a tune when teaching spinning classes!
"I have raised money for other athletic events, such as competing in the London Marathon as part of the Leukemia Society Team in Training program, and I find that training and racing for a cause deepens the experience. I feel like my efforts will help someone else in some way. I was very moved by a visit to a shelter when I was doing the Fitchburg stage race in July. Visiting the shelter and meeting the directors and volunteers at the shelter helped me understand how much they appreciate our donations, and how much the donations can help families in need. Project Hopeline also offers programs to help battered women gain self-confidence and self-esteem, and we hope to serve as role models for women taking positive steps to achieve our goals.
"I chose to ride with the Verizon team because I knew many of the other riders from the Northeast, and I liked the idea of riding for a good cause," explains Miller. "It allows me to use my passion to help other women who maybe in crisis. My goals are to continue to compete in National Racing Calendar events, the races in the Northeast and hopefully repeat my three masters national championship titles in 2004. I had a great year racing in 2003 - I won the time trial, criterium and road race for my age group at the Masters’ National Championships, finished 14th overall in Fitchburg, and 9th at the Univest Grand Prix. I hope to continue to visit shelters on behalf of Verizon Wireless and assist in any other team events to support Project Hopeline. I would like to organize a ‘phone drive’ at some race, so that riders can donate their old cell phones to Project Hopeline's program where old cell phones are refurbished and given to battered women.
"Riding with the Verizon Wireless Cervelo team has been a great experience. My teammates make the team fun, and we've had some great times. We are all ‘real people’ with full-time careers and varied interests, but we all share the passion of bike racing, not to mention lattes! I'll go to any race - or training ride - where I can get a good latte!"
Team roster
Julia Farell (Can)
Julie Monagle (USA)
Ann Marie Miller (USA)
Yvonne Ilton (USA)
Sarah Foulkes (USA)
Paula McNamara (USA)
Kathleen Shaw (USA)
Amanda Tucker (USA)
Brenda Nevins (USA)
Pam Alessio (USA)
Sponsors
Verizon Wireless
Cervélo
Rudy Project
Velomax Wheel Systems
Kenda (tires and tubes)
CLIF Bar
Tri-Flow (lubricants)
Connecticut Bicycle Coalition
Pro Cycles
Belmont Wheelworks bicycle shop
