Come as you are, 2022 Team Camp
Hey, it’s Mariana reporting from my flight back to Mexico.
Since I left my house to head to the camp I knew that it would be a new experience for me, we were all very excited to meet each other there. Here I will give you an inside look at LA Sweat team camp 2022.
I was the last to arrive, it was 9:30 p.m. When I arrived at the airport expecting to meet Tiffany and Sammi ( we had only ever met on Zoom calls, together we would meet Dani who played the role of the mom for the first couple of days at camp while Kelli was working at Sea Otter. We arrived at the house and surprise! everyone was already there, they say that the first impression is important and wow that was the best first impression. As though we had all been friends for years.
We had the opportunity to go to the Sea Otter Classic. We were with some of our sponsors like Giro, Hunt, Vittoria, Sram, Hammerhead, Time, and Nuun, it was so great to be able to meet the people behind the brands that support us. A big thank you to all of them for having us in their space and giving us the opportunity to represent them. An epic moment at the Expo was when the Bike launch happened, and everyone had the opportunity to see our new team bike (thanks Pratt)
The following days were to get to know each other and ride the beautiful roads of Aptos and Santa Cruz. Filled with climbs and amazing descents, although I can't deny that we also got to ride along the beach, and Kelli was able to ride with us which is great and she shows us that she is capable of everything. We love you, Kelli, thank you for giving us the opportunity to get to know each other and grow as people and cyclists.
Every night different groups of teammates had to make dinner, On the last day it was Ashley and I and you know what we did? TACOOOOOOS hahaha that's when you realize that your team appreciates you and your culture and it was great. And I can’t forget the dinner at Gloria’s house. She's an amazing woman. I think we all love her house, food, dogs, and you, we need more Gloria’s in our lives.
What does this camp leave me with?
Happiness and confidence, why? Although sometimes I was very quiet when I talked to everyone, I felt happy and supported by a group of girls who surprise me more and more every day. I trust that we will be a team that will be in the battle and we will not give up so easily.
I would like to end this by mentioning something that I liked about my teammates.
Ashley, she’s always so positive and happy, her pockets always have candy in case you want some, and we find out that our favorite Mexican dish is pozole, so now I have a partner to eat a lot of pozole.
Kaya, wow what can I say, she’s so smart and intelligent, she represents the spirit of sport, does an amazing job in Belize helping the sport and hopefully, soon we can race together in Mexico or Belize.
Tiff tiff she’s so kind and sweet, it’s that friend you need when you’re feeling down or sad, always has a hug for you and if you don’t know what time is it, SHE KNOW’S
Emily, we have in common apart from cycling, we count in kilometers and we prefer a good cup of tea, she’s so strong. If you’re bored and you want somebody to sing to you, she knows how to do it, for real.
Sammi, omggg Sammi she’s so smart and curious, if she has a question, she’s going to do it so be prepared. An amazing climber and rider, did you see her braids? They are so cool.
Monica, always has this happy spirit, her smile is contagious, and her style is so freaking cool, and what can I say about her strong legs
Dani, always wants to have fun with everything, an extraordinary sprinter, she’s always with a big smile on her face.
I want to mention a couple of people who were there supporting us, Mia, Ken, Cree, Cody and Ben. Thank you for your time.
And finally Kelli, you made this possible, thanks!
