Ayesha McGowan facts for kids
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ayesha Rosena Anna McGowan |
| Born | April 2, 1987 Atlanta, Georgia |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Liv Racing TeqFind |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Puncheur |
Ayesha Rosena Anna McGowan (born April 2, 1987) is an American professional cyclist. She rides for the UCI Women's World Team Liv Racing TeqFind. Ayesha is also an important voice for change. She works to make cycling more welcoming for everyone, especially for women and people from different backgrounds. She made history as the first African American woman to join a professional road cycling team.
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Ayesha's Early Cycling Journey
Many professional cyclists start racing when they are very young. But Ayesha McGowan's story is different! She began cycling just to get around. She rode her bike to classes while studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
After finishing college in 2010, Ayesha moved to Brooklyn. There, she worked as a teacher for young children. She also gave private music lessons for five years.
First Races and Wins
Ayesha had been riding her bike for seven years before she tried racing. Her first race was the 2014 Red Hook Crit in Brooklyn. This was a special race because it was the first time they had separate races for men and women. Later that same year, Ayesha won her first race! It was a Category 4 race at the New York State Criterium Championships in White Plains.
Becoming a Professional Cyclist
In 2019, Ayesha McGowan started racing at the professional level. She competed in big events like the Joe Martin Stage Race and the Colorado Classic. During the Colorado Classic, she rode very bravely. Her strong efforts caught a lot of attention. She even won the "Most Inspirational" jersey for one stage of the race.
Joining a Pro Team
Ayesha was part of Liv Racing for the 2020 season. She raced with them in the United States. In 2021, she took a big step up. She joined the professional UCI Women's Team as a trainee rider. This meant she could start racing with the team after August 1st, following the rules of the UCI.
Her first race with the team was in early September. It was the 2021 Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche. Ayesha even joined the group of riders who broke away from the main pack on stage 6. She finished seventh in that stage and 50th overall in the race.
For the 2022 season, Liv Racing (now known as Liv Racing–Xstra) kept Ayesha on their team. She officially signed on as a full professional cyclist.
External links
- Ayesha McGowan at ProCyclingStatsLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
