Girls Riding Together (GRiT) — Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League

About GRiT (Girls Riding Together)

NICA’s GRiT (Girls Riding Together) initiative exists to address the lack of representation of women and girls in mountain biking.

Through GRiT, we create the safe spaces and opportunities necessary for women and girls to engage, build confidence, belong, and thrive as riders and humans.

We want to give girls and women equitable access to the transformative power of mountain biking, so that there is ultimately gender parity in the sport.

GRiT reinforces NICA’s core values of

FUN, INCLUSIVITY, EQUITY, RESPECT, and COMMUNITY.

We prioritize friendship, joy and adventure.
We create the opportunity for everyone to feel truly welcomed and to see themselves in NICA and in the sport of mountain biking.
We eliminate barriers to participation by providing the tools, training, safe spaces, and support for women and girls to develop their skills, build confidence, and thrive in this sport.
We respect the value, voice, and participation of women and girls in mountain biking.
We intentionally cultivate a sense of belonging by connecting girls and women to a GRiT community.

The Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League saw huge participation numbers in its first years of existence, but girls still make up only 16% of our ridership. Please help the Maryland League increase this percentage. Our GRiT coordinator and a team of women coaches and student ambassadors make up a GRiT committee that works to increase female participation through numerous outreach events throughout the state.