I am super excited to announce the launch of Distance To Empty. It’s an idea about resilience and inspiration, and pursuing hard things against all odds. It’s also a brand that my husband and I have built together. And, it’s our way of giving back.
The best way to achieve big ideas is to start small. As a first step, we’re focusing on what we know: cycling. I will be competing under the Distance To Empty racing banner this year, with the support of my incredible sponsors. Soon, I’ll be sharing a full cycling kit that I designed, and Eliel is making. The new kit will be available for purchase later this year, and you can find my full race schedule under 2022 Calendar along with my 2022 partners.
Now for the most exciting part: the 2022 Distance To Empty Pursuit Awards!
We’re going to be issuing four 2022 Distance to Empty Pursuit Awards to Colorado-based girls and women who are pursuing cycling against all odds. With the support of my 2022 sponsors and Colorado race promoters, awardees will receive entry into a number of Colorado gravel races being announced on out Distance To Empty Instagram page, product and discounts from my sponsors, and a season of mentoring from yours truly!
The Pursuit Awards are designed to empower and provide opportunity in cycling for young girls and women who are looking to pursue something on the bike, whether it be competing in their first-ever gravel event or pursuing a goal of becoming a professional cyclist, but lack the support system and resources to get there.
We believe a bicycle has the ability to create a sense of freedom that can unify and build bridges to create community. Pedaling a bicycle can help develop bravery and confidence, a feeling of accomplishment, and can free the mind during troubled times. Our goal in launching the Distance To Empty Pursuit Awards is to help create opportunities for others who share the same desire to pursue their own Distance To Empty.
How did Distance to Empty come about?
In sharing the stories of our travails, perseverance, adventures, and accomplishments, we noticed a pattern over time. People would reach out to us and tell us we were inspirational. We didn’t see it this way though. We’ve just been living, packing our lives and our tanks as full as possible, and sharing highlights along the way. But, over the course of a pandemic (that is still going, as we both are dealing with Covid as I type this), we started wondering how we might tell stories of other people who are doing inspirational things, and doing them against all odds. That’s where this idea started. We all have a Distance To Empty, and the good stuff in life happens when we keep that in the front of our minds.
Anyone that knows us knows that we’ve had our fair share of challenges. And despite countless setbacks, multiple life-threatening crises, and a global pandemic, we have continued to push forward. For us, being alive isn’t good enough. We need to live.
We hope you’ll help us share this far and wide, and be part of this movement by using #MyDistanceToEmpty and we can’t wait to hear from and be inspired by our 2022 applicants.
What’s your Distance To Empty?
For more information or DTE Pursuit Award sponsorship opportunities, visit www.distancetoempty.com or email howdy@distancetoempty.com.