What W2W 2025 taught us about the power of vulnerability and the impact of community
I used to think courage looked like crossing a finish line with arms in the air — strong, fearless, unstoppable. A big bold moment.
But after watching so many of you on your W2W journey these last few months, I’ve learned that courage shows up long before that moment:
Courage isn’t just the moment you lift your arms at the finish line.
Courage is everything that happens before that.
It’s the moment you whisper, “I don’t know if I can do this.”
The doubts swirl in your head. The fear sits heavy in your chest. You know the days are long, the trail is technical, and your confidence feels small. Every part of you wants to turn back, to play it safe, to stay in your comfort zone.
And then — despite the uncertainty, despite the nerves, despite every little voice telling you not to — you show up anyway. You pedal forward, step into the moment, and let yourself be seen. That’s where courage lives. Not in perfection, not in fearlessness, but in the choice to act even when you feel vulnerable.
As Brené Brown so beautifully says, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of courage.” You can’t be brave without first being exposed. You can’t reach for growth without risking falling. You can’t truly rise without showing up as you are, flaws, fears, and all. Vulnerability is not a weakness — it’s the gateway to the moments that transform us, the moments that teach us what it really means to be courageous.
Brené Brown explains that vulnerability involves three key elements: uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.
She once asked a room full of soldiers to name a single act of bravery that did not include one of those three things — and not one could.
Because courage requires vulnerability. There’s no way around it.
This year, at Wines2Whales and within the Trail Angels community, we witnessed that truth unfold again and again:
Was there uncertainty? Yes.
Risk? Definitely.
Emotional exposure? Absolutely.
And yet, we saw women step far outside their comfort zones, embracing vulnerability — not because they were fearless, but because they felt supported. Because there was a space where vulnerability isn’t a weakness, but a catalyst.
At Trail Angels: Vulnerability invites vulnerability and courage is contagious.
When one woman shares her doubts, another finds the strength to say, “me too.”
When someone admits she’s scared, the whole group rallies behind her.
When one rider steps forward despite uncertainty, others discover they can do the same.
This is what got more women to the W2W start line this year.
Not perfect fitness. Not elite skills. But community.
A community where:
💜 It’s safe to ask the “silly” questions
💜 It’s normal to say, “I can’t do this — yet”
💜 Small wins are celebrated loudly
💜 You can show up exactly as you are
💜 Others believe in you before you fully believe in yourself
This is the magic of Trail Angels.
And here’s the truth:
When women feel supported, they don’t just ride — they rise.
If we want to bring even more women into mountain biking, this is the magic we must keep cultivating:
Connection.
Authenticity.
Belonging.
Spaces where vulnerability opens the door, and support carries them through.
Because every time one woman steps forward with shaky hands and an uncertain heart, she sends out a message without even knowing it:
“If I can do this… maybe you can too.”
That tiny spark — that single courageous act — spreads.
It always does.
Here’s to the women who showed up scared.
Here’s to the women who tried anyway.
Here’s to the community that makes bravery possible.
Courage isn’t about being fearless.
It’s about being vulnerable — together.
And when women lift each other up, shoulder to shoulder, on and off the bike, there’s nothing they can’t do.
