Meet Evergreen's New Community Engagement Coordinator, Maggie
Meet Maggie!
In May, the Evergreen Statewide Office welcomed our new Community Engagement Coordinator, Maggie, onto the team.
Maggie is originally from Bellevue, and grew up as a busy multi-sport student-athlete. She had her greatest success as a shot put and discus thrower, and even went on to compete for the Track and Field Team at Western Washington University, where she met her husband, Jake (also a "thrower"). Maggie and Jake recently purchased their first home in Issaquah, and they are excited to be just 15 minutes away from Raging River, Tiger Mountain, and Duthie Hill.
Maggie brings experience producing events and marketing for the City of Redmond Parks and Recreation department. There, she discovered a passion for engaging with diverse communities, and encouraging enjoyment of the outdoors. Maggie describes her new role as "The Storyteller of Evergreen", where she will be responsible for much of the communications that go out to our members and the communities we serve. As a follower of our social media channels, a subscriber to our newsletter, or a blog reader, you'll have a glimpse into Maggie's work and her passion for mountain biking. She looks forward to establishing her voice with Evergreen’s membership and followers, developing a connection with the community, and growing support for our work. Ultimately she hopes that her work will get more people out on bikes, and encourage inclusion in our sport!
We sat down with Maggie and gave her a rapid-fire interview about how she got into mountain biking, her favorite trails, and more.
Read Maggie’s Full Interview
Where did you learn to ride a bike?
My Mom taught me to ride a bike in Seward Park - Seattle, Wa, in 1997!
How did you get into Mountain Biking? When and Where?
I have owned a mountain bike since I was a young kid - I used to rip up and down the rooty driveway at my family’s cabin outside of Spokane. But, I didn’t truly start mountain biking until spring/summer 2016.
Jake started mountain biking after we graduated, and “retired” from Track & Field in 2014, and he finally convinced me to join right before we got married in August 2016.
The first place I rode was Duthie Hill!
What was your first mountain bike, and what are you currently riding?
My first mountain bike was a purple Magna from Walmart when I was young. As an adult, my first bike was a hardtail Diamondback Luxe Sport. I bought it in 2016 as a way to enter the sport on a budget, and decide whether or not I wanted to upgrade to a full suspension ride down the line.
I upgraded to my first full suspension bike in 2018, and that’s what I’m currently riding. It's a 2017 Giant Trance 2, and I love it. It's nimble, quick, and uber light - great for climbs, but rugged enough to handle the type of descending I’m game for.
What is your favorite or most useful piece of gear that you own?
I am a hip pack convert, and I love carrying essentials around my waist - rather than straining my shoulders with abackpack. I love my Osprey/Troy Lee Seral pack.
What is the most challenging ride you’ve completed?
In 2017, my husband and I rode the Mackenzie River Trail in Oregon. It was only my 2nd season on a mountain bike - so the ~30 miles of trail during 90 degree, July heat was a major challenge. It was rough, but we did it.
Do you have a favorite MTB content creator, rider or influencer?
I follow a bunch of awesome youtube personalities that I really enjoy - one being Kyle & April. I think their content is very relatable, but also great learning material.
I also really enjoyed the PinkBike Academy series on YouTube and I’m looking forward to season 2!
Who is your favorite riding buddy?
Definitely my husband Jake. We were collegiate athletes together at WWU, and he knows just how capable I am physically, even when my mind tells me that I “can’t” tackle something. He pushes me to my limits, high fives me after every segment, and coaches me through new features - he's the best.
What is the worst crash/injury you’ve had due to mountain biking?
Due to a rough car accident about 10 years ago, I’m a little risk averse, and I do have a fear complex - so I tend to err on the side of caution. Because of that, I haven’t had any gnarly crashes. No broken bones or hospital trips, thankfully. My worst accident was probably in 2018, when I washed out on a loose berm at Duthie and ripped up my elbow pretty good. In hindsight, it could have used stitches, but I let it heal on its own. It took 8 weeks just to close completely and left me with a rough scar.
What is your favorite trail system or segment in the Evergreen family of trails, and why?
I absolutely love everything that Raging River has to offer. In 2020, I rode there 2-3 nights/week, and even after hundreds of times descending from Stan's overlook - I still feel a buzz when I have a clean run. CCDH was a little spicy for me, but I’m working my way up to it.
One of the major reasons I love mountain biking is because it helps me maintain a good level of fitness, and push myself physically. Because of that, I also really enjoy a challenging climb. At Raging, I’ve made it out to the end of “the stick” a number of times, and that’s always fun. I’ve also been known to race myself to the overlook, just to see how fast I can make it up.
What is your favorite trail outside of Washington?
I have only ridden outside the state a handful of times (Schweitzer, and Mackenzie River), and I would say that both were enjoyable in their own ways. Schweitzer was a fun experience, and it was definitely a change of pace to ride on “moon dirt” in the middle of an Idaho summer.
On the other hand, Mackenzie River offered stunning scenery, and wonderful flowy sections straight out of Endor, in “Return of the Jedi”. I would love to take on Mackenzie river now that I have a better foundation of skills, and fitness.
Be sure to follow Evergreen on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and Twitter to see what Maggie and the Evergreen teams are up to!
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