WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE!

It is with great pleasure and wholehearted support that Swift Industries has donated touring gear to three amazing women involved in this adventure. 

Over the next week, in anticipation of the group’s departure, we’ll highlight each of these adventurous souls. We hope they’ll inspire you to follow their lead in bicycle advocacy, adventuring, and bringing women’s visibility to the fore of our cycling communities!

Ayesha Rosena Anna McGowan

Age? 26

Where are you from? Piscataway, NJ

Where do you ride? Anywhere and Everywhere!

When and why did you start riding? When I moved to Boston for college, it would take me an hour to commute to school. I decided to take my mom’s bike from the basement. When i took it to the shop for a tune-up, it still had the baby carrier she used to tote my sister around attached to it. My sister is 8 years older than me. The bike got an overhaul, and my commute was cut down to twenty minutes!

How has WE Bike NYC impacted your life? It has given me an amazing set of inspiring women to ride with and learn from. I’m not a very social person, but WE Bike NYC has created a social environment where I feel comfortable enough to leave my bubble and be a part of a group!

Why do you want to go on the ride? I think it would be an incredibly challenge and a milestone in my journey as a woman and a cyclist. I love the idea that this band of unusual candidates is going to ride down to DC and break down several barriers that are regularly a part of the National Bike Summit. Women and minorities are depressingly under represented, WE are definitely going to help remedy that this year!

Anything else you’d like to add? Is there a way to textually represent a victory dance? WOOOHOOO!!!!!

Support Ayesha in filling her dance card with advocacy and community building by clicking here!