For Min McDonald, the inaugural Tamworth Women’s #Five100 this month is a window to the future.
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Or more accurately, it is the future she is striving to achieve.
As Tamworth Cycle Club’s first women’s development officer, the April 29 event is McDonald’s baby – the debut event tailored specifically for women in Tamworth.
It is a case of, as McDonald put it, “baby steps”. But she can’t help but image where it will lead.
Certainly, she likes the look of this month’s ride as a blueprint for the desired growth of the sport among females in the city.
“I’ve suggested to them (the TCC board) that often times, particularly road cycling, it’s the wives and daughters helping to support events that mostly males participate in,” she said. “And on this one we’ve really switched it around.
“The boys from the club are going to be running the support car and organising the food and looking after our water and feed stops. And the ride will be run for girls, by girls.”
The 100km recreational event is part of the #Five100 Challenge, a state-wide initiative by Cycling NSW’s Women's Commission to increase the number of female cyclists.
“Historically they’ve been in metro areas. And so this year we’ve partnered with Grafton and Coffs Harbour cycle clubs to have a few of them in the North West region and North Coast region just to make it a bit more accessible for people living in regional areas,” McDonald said.
She said TCC was hoping to attract up to 30 entrants for this year’s event, or “pretty much the component of women in town who regularly ride”.
You don’t need to be a TCC member to take part – a one-day pass from Cycling NSW will suffice.
“This is a good one to come and have a try, because they’ll be a couple of different bunches riding at different paces,” McDonald said.
She described TCC as “very dynamic and progressive” in its approach to women’s cycling. “They’ve (the board) been committed to having a women’s development officer and really encouraging women to participate in the sport,” she said.
“And I think they are to be commended on that, because traditionally it is a male-dominated sport and it can be quite intimidating for a woman to find an entry point.”
