*TAP TAP* Is THIS THING ON??

The fastest way to live a dull life is by letting the fear of looking like a beginner stop you.

This is one of the personal mottos that has had the biggest impact on my life and decisions over the last few years. It can be really easy as one gets “older” to settle into a rut, stick to our routines, and only do what we know we are good at.

…but what if you have a knack for something you haven’t tried yet?

What if with some preparation and practice you could actually excel in an industry you never even knew existed?

What if the opportunities and experiences you desire in life are locked up on the other side of you saying yes to something that could feel scary at the time?

Back to my motto…if you never embrace looking like a beginner and muster up the courage to step outside of your comfort zone, you could end up missing out on some of the brightest and most fun moments in life.


This past weekend I was afforded the opportunity to co-announce a day of live racing in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania for the 4th annual Hummelstown Criterium Bike Race and Craft Fair.

Coming into the day I wasn’t sure how comfortable I would feel since I am most at home doing broadcast work to camera. Announcing races live to fans and racers in person is a completely different ballgame. So, I did what I knew best, embodied my motto, and ended up truly having a wonderful experience.

Yet again, I reflect on the fact that I would have never gotten this opportunity had I not put myself out there. A massive thank you to Megan Barto, the Hummelstown Race Director, for not giving up on me to be a part of your team when I tried to say no at least 3 or 4 times. With an all female lead team, I was both humbled and proud to play a small part in making your races special.

I am a firm believer that there is truly nothing one can’t do without a bit of preparation and/or practice. I’m adding this experience to the growing stack of evidence that says I should in fact change my Linkedin bio to “Professional Yapper” because 9 hours on the mic flew by and although my body was quite tired, my spirit was quite alive!


For easy reading, I’ve numbered a few of my big takeaways:

  1. PA announcers do more than just call the races, they organize the day, maintain order, and keep the schedule moving. Announcers serve as the glue between racers, fans, officials, staff, and volunteers. Without someone to maintain communication at large, the disconnect between all parties and their experiences at live sporting events would be immeasurable.

  2. There is a true art to being both an informative and exciting announcer. I have much growth ahead of me in this area and I was immensely grateful to learn from Bill Elliston. Bill put me on game, was patient with my questions, gave considerate feedback, and taught me some of the things that only DECADES of experience announcing races could yield.

  3. It’s a LONG day of work. Our first race started at 9:00AM which meant that Bill and I were on the mics by 8:40AM and we really didn’t stop until the pro men’s race concluded around 5:40PM. And this was a shorter race event. Whewh.

  4. We need more women and people of color on the insides of the sport of cycling. One of the best moments of my day was when I introduced myself to Evelyn, one of the race officials, and the joy I felt when she told me she was the chief USAC official. Yaasssss queen! Even so, us women were greatly outnumbered on the day.

In conclusion, someone let my grade school teachers know that I’m still an overly chatty student and that they can just copy and paste their report card notes on for next year as well. LOL!!!

Next up for me on July 27th is Chocolate City Criterium in Washington, DC, where I’ll co-announce a day of races beside Michanda Myles. Our pairing will be the first time ever in USA Cycling that two women of color will announce the races together and I’m looking forward to making history with her.

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BICYCLING MAG COVER x BIKE OF THE YEAR