Hi. My name is Haley Smith, and I am a 24 year old who is deeply, irrevocably in love with her bike. Luckily, I've been able to parlay this love into a viable career. You see, my bike isn't the sole owner of my heart. I am also deeply passionate about the outdoors, travel, and competition. Based on this, you can probably guess what my job is: I am a professional cross-country mountain bike racer for the Norco Factory Team. I travel the world year round, racing the World Cup circuit and working to qualify for the Olympic Games. This life is not without it's challenges (and failures!), but it really is a dream life, and I owe it all to my two-wheeled machine. When I first started mountain biking, I was absolutely terrible. It simply wasn't a ride unless I came home bleeding. To be 100% honest, I don't know exactly what compelled me to stick to the sport (other than a pig-headed determination and refusal to give up). But, somewhere along the line, I fell in love with my bike. There are so many things that draw me to my bike. When I swing my leg over the saddle, the possibilities immediately become endless. I can ride hard, to feel my lungs burn and legs ache. I can ride easy, as a form of meditation and to enjoy nature. I can ride obstacles that scare me, to push my limits and feel the rush of adrenaline. I can ride with flow, almost like being back in dance class. I can ride for hours and hours, until my brain finds a space of perfect clarity. I can ride until my mind and body meld into one. I can ride with friends, or alone, or even meet up with strangers along the trails. I can ride for snacks and tea (the coffee ride is, admittedly, one of my favourite kinds of rides). There are no rules when I'm on my bike (well, you know, apart from the rules of the road). It's the closest I come to complete freedom and I wouldn't change it for the world. I now spend most of my time riding in foreign countries, on challenging race tracks and through forgotten countryside. In the past 12 months, I've ridden in places all over Canada, California, Europe, South Africa, and Australia. I love riding in new places, checking out the local culture, and experiencing exotic nature. But my heart always keeps me coming back to where I learned to ride: Durham Forest, in Uxbridge, Ontario. Durham Forest was the perfect place to learn to mountain bike. And it's still a great place for me to go back to and be challenged. The flowing trails, forgiving dirt, and excellent trail conditions in most types of weather make it a haven for mountain bikers across southern Ontario. Add to that a vibrant cycling community, and you have a place where you can go to both disconnect and become connected. I fervently wish that more women would pick up mountain biking. I've been involved with many sports - hockey, soccer, dance, running, yoga, etc - but mountain biking has to be the most empowering activity I've ever come across. My bike has given me new levels of confidence, self-assuredness, independence, and happiness, and it's taught me all about the process of living. And it's just a whole bunch of FUN! I can talk and talk about mountain biking all day long... but the only way for you to truly understand why I love it is to give it a try. So go borrow or buy a bike (any bike will do!) and head to the trails. Hopefully I'll see you at Durham Forest this summer! Haley