A Virtual Celebration for Black Folks in the Outdoors

Atlanta, GA: The first African-American female professional road racer, Ayesha McGowan launches her inaugural Thee Abundance Summit, a virtual celebration and convening of Black and Brown folks in the outdoors. The event is for, by, and about Black and Brown folks, though everyone is welcome and invited to attend. 

“I think it’s absolutely necessary that I host a celebration of joy. All too often we are only invited to share our pain, our struggles, and our sorrows. This is a space where we, as Black and Brown people in the cycling and outdoor communities, can bring our full selves with the sole purpose of having a good time.”

Co-hosted by Jools Walker and Olivia Williams, Thee Abundance Summit will include:

• A Keynote from Courtney Williams of The Brown Bike Girl and the NYC Bike Mayor

• Workshops from Diversify Van Life, Storytelling on Instagram with Rachel Olzer, Basic Photography with Eric Arce, How to Purchase a Bike with Laura Solís, and Creating Zines with Christina Torres

• Panels on insights from youth cyclists and OG adventurers in the outdoors, including US Olympic Silver Medalist Nelson Vails

• A Group Ride on Zwift led by The Black Foxes

• Tea Time with Ayesha McGowan featuring special guests

• A Live DJ Dance Party with DJ Black Daria

The Abundance Summit is supported by Zwift, Liv Cycling, SRAM, and Backcountry.com. The event is free and will be streamed on YouTube on Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27. There will be an opportunity for voluntary donations to a mini-grant program McGowan is developing to help provide a pathway to inspiration, experience, and upgrade points for Black and Brown women who are amateur or beginner road racers. 

All panels and workshops will be accessible to the hearing impaired. For more information, visit www.aquickbrownfox.com. 

Ayesha McGowan is a professional road cyclist for Liv Racing and an advocate for better representation of people of color in cycling. Her work on diversity and inclusion in cycling inspires people to ride more, and to challenge their ideas of who counts as a “cyclist.”