TWENTY16, presented by Sho-Air, further fuels its’ acclaimed recruitment platform by offering a pioneering college scholarship program for women athletes.
The “Ride 4 Education” program, co-founded by Barry Bonds, TWENTY16 General Manager Nicola Cranmer and Team Director Mari Holden, offers scholarships to capable female cyclists.
The high performance team is an excellent platform for junior women, particularly, since the pathway to professional racing is very different from junior men. Female endurance athletes develop much later than their male counterparts and many do not fully commit to cycling until they have graduated college.
“Barry is passionate about education and the sport of cycling,” noted TWENTY16 General Manager, Nicola Cranmer. “His vision for our Ride 4 Education program has sparked new inspiration for our pro cycling team. Over the past 10 years, we’ve been able to successfully develop junior athletes and connect them with colleges, but we recognize that some of our athletes need financial assistance.”
The TWENTY16 Ride 4 Education Scholarship provides direct financial assistance to our junior athletes, spurred by the critical importance of academic priorities in a sport which offers a sustainable career for a only few top athletes. By providing our athletes with the ability to pursue their education, we are equipping them for their futures far beyond the world of cycling.
The Ride 4 Education Scholarship program is funded by individual contributions designated to the program through the TWENTY16 Pro Cycling Team and Tam Cycling 501c3. Contributors include The Barry Bonds Family Foundation, Will Chang, Biagi Brothers Inc, Rainey Miller, Dean Family Trust, Burns Family Foundation, Jackson Family Wines, Holden Family, Jeff Bernstein, David & Becky Vigil and Wendy Tonkin Philanthropic Fund.
“I am very proud of my association with TWENTY16 and our junior scholarship program. Working with the juniors allows me to use my experience from years of racing and training to help our athletes be successful both at the races and in life,” said director and Olympic medalist, Mari Holden. “I believe that the values learned by training, racing and striving to achieve new goals both on the bike and in the classroom help foster the core principles of perseverance and excellence that are key to a successful life.”
Scholarships are awarded to full-time high school students or first year college students. Our selection committee will be awarding scholarships to qualifying applicants to supplement their college tuition while continuing to pursue cycling. Having excellent academic grades, leadership qualities, community involvement as well as solid racing results and teamwork will determine eligibility of the TWENTY16 junior applicant.
TWENTY16 Pro Cycling is the only professional team with an integrated junior program. Offering junior athletes an opportunity to race with our team not only helps them gain valuable race experience and a fast track into professional racing, but it also encourages them to apply the same skill sets of focus, endurance and discipline they display in cycling to their academics and the pursuit of an undergraduate college degree. Education, Athletics and Community are the three pillars of our program. Scholarships are currently limited to members of TWENTY16 presented by Sho-Air.
