The Steamboat Pilot & Today

John Russell

John Russell's sports column appears Sundays in Steamboat Today. Contact him at 871-4209 or e-mail jrussell@steamboatpilot.com.

A fan writing a comment on Mary Collier’s daily blog summed up the 29-year-old mountain biker’s attitude in one short statement.

“Never underestimate the powers of a woman,” the fan wrote on the Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race Web site.

Since beginning her 2,711-mile journey from Banff in Alberta, Canada, the endurance athlete from Idyllwild, Calif., has faced long lonely hours on the trail, snow and rain, and a possible encounter with a bear somewhere in Montana. Some riders would have called it quits. More than a few of the riders in this race did.

But Mary wasn’t one of them.

When she passed through Steamboat Springs early last week Mary was well behind the leaders, but she was in good spirits and optimistic about reaching her goal and finishing the race in Antelope Wells, N.M. On Friday, she was somewhere near Sargents.

“I was following the tracks of the guys in front of me, and right next to them I could see bear tracks,” Mary said of her trip through the mountains of Montana.

She made it over Rich­mond Peak and was headed into Dillon with two feet on the pedals, one hand on her handlebars and the other gripping a can of bear spray. She called it a tough day — personally, I would have pulled into the nearest hotel, picked up a phone and called a friend for a ride home.

But something tells me that wasn’t an option for Mary. She was the only woman in the field of 17 die-hard riders to start the race, and you could see the determination in her eyes.

She said that this race is about personal growth, and facing the challenges of the journey will make her a stronger person.

But her efforts are also sending another message. A message she hopes will inspire young women to get out and do whatever they want.

With every steep climb, every scary downhill and every mile she puts behind her, Mary continues to break barriers and impress those who are watching her. Only time will tell whether her message is as powerful as those set by women such as Mia Hamm, who inspired a generation of young female soccer players; or tennis legend Billie Jean King, who redefined women’s roles in sports when she defeated Bobby Riggs in the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes.”

I have little doubt that Mary’s groundbreaking journey will be followed by other women in the future.

Mary admitted there were times when she wanted to quit, but she has found support in some unlikely places.

After one really tough day, she said, she found inspiration in the words of a maintenance man she met at a motel along the route.

“He looked at me and said, ‘You’re not going to quit,’” Mary recalls. “Because you’re not a quitter.”

Like any other great role model, Mary jumped back on her bike and just kept going. I guess you should never underestimate the powers of a great athlete.