Hello, my name is Diana Rivera-Rojo and I am a 4th year racer for the Salinas High Mountain Bike Team. I am so excited to be an ambassador for GRiT as biking has been a love of mine since I was a young girl and developed into a passion during high school. Along with biking, academically I am focusing on becoming a community leader while outside of academics I spend my time creating projects and hiking.

What is your favorite trail snack?

Gummy Bears

Where is your favorite place to ride?

Fort Ord

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Since I was a little girl, I have loved being creative whether that be through painting or making jewelry. I adore art and its different forms; One of my goals in life is to experience the making of every form of art. This has led me to develop various hobbies most notably painting, sewing and drawing.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am ecstatic to have this opportunity that focuses on spreading positivity and kindness into a community that I love. I hope to help NorCals community flourish and see more girls on bikes!

Hi! My name is Kaity and this year I am a freshman on SonoraMTB Granite Grinders. This is my fourth year racing with my team. I’ve been on the team since 6th grade and I have been mountain biking since I was maybe 6 years old. But I really got into the sport when my brother joined our team in 2019. Mountain biking has been one of my favorite ways to de-stress and get fresh air. It is also how I made lifelong friends. I am very excited to join my team again as a GRiT ambassador this year and help encourage more girls to join.

What is your favorite trail snack?

Probably Kind bars or gummies. I have a problem with gluten so those are the best snacks for me!

Where is your favorite place to ride?

I think that Exchequer mountain bike park or Mammoth mountain are the best places to ride. The trails are fast and fun and they have nice scenery!

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

I love crafts like making jewelry, making paper flowers and painting. I love running with my dog and take him on runs daily. I also love singing and enjoy learning new languages. (But I sometimes forget to learn each one fluently before I try to learn another one!)

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am so excited about getting more girls on bikes and helping them enjoy the sport! GRiT helped me make friends when I didn’t have any so that makes me excited to help others make new friends! It also makes me happy to help plan the rides and get more people together.

Nina (a sophomore) has been biking since a young age and loves to be out on the trails. She has been competitively mountain biking since 7th grade, and enjoys both racing and riding for fun. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her friends, going to the beach, or hanging out with her 2 dogs. Outside of mountain biking, she does volleyball, waterpolo, track, and swim team.

What is your favorite trail snack?

I like cliff blocks!

Where is your favorite place to ride?

UCSC trails

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

I like playing waterpolo and going to the beach with my friends.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I’m super excited to meet more girls who love to mountain bike and go on rides with them. I also would like to introduce more girls to the sport, whether it’s for fun bike rides or competitively. I’m super excited for this season!

My name is Georgia Keeling. I’m a junior this year and this will be my third year racing in the NorCal League on the SLO Scoters and second year being a GRiT ambassador. I love riding all kinds of bikes and finding new places to explore.

What is your favorite trail snack?

My favorite trail snack is biscotti. I love putting them in my pocket and enjoying them throughout my ride.

Where is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place to ride is west Cuesta grade in my town. There are so many fun local trails up there and you can ride for hours.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Outside of mountain biking I love hiking, adventuring, gravel biking, and playing volleyball. I think it’s so cool to discover new places and get out in nature.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am so excited to be an ambassador this year and expand our community of female and non binary riders. This program had such a positive impact on my life last year and I cannot wait to meet more people throughout our league and inspire more girls to get on bikes!

Hi, my name is Gabriella Dominguez and I am a sophomore. This will be my 5th season with NorCal NICA. I also race cyclocross during the winter and fall. I learned the importance of the social aspect to biking when I went to GRiT Camp summer after 6th. Since then I have grown my relationships with cycling girls all over the state. I can’t wait to continue creating new ones for the 2025 season!

What is your favorite trail snack?

Gold Honey Stinger gels

Where is your favorite place to ride?

John Nicholas because you can connect it along most of the Santa Cruz ridge line

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

I like to run, fish or play golf for the varsity team. Anything outdoorsy!

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am excited to make cycling a more welcoming space and encourage new friendships. I also want to grow the amount of female racer turnout and stoke.

Hello! My name is Madi, I am a sophomore at San Lorenzo Valley High School. This is my fourth year racing anta Cruz Mountains Cycling Team. I fell in love with the community of the NorCal League and mountain biking when I joined in 7th grade, and I have been racing since then. I love cross country racing but I also love being able to hang out with my teams and friends in so many awesome places. I have met some of my best friends through the mountain biking community and I’m super excited to be a bigger part of the NorCal GRiT program this year! I hope to bring more girls from my community into the program and to strengthen the community of strong girls in the NorCal NICA league.

What is your favorite trail snack?

My favorite trail snack is CLIF Crunchy peanut butter granola bars and Honey Stinger stroopwaffles.

Where is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place to ride is Ashland, Oregon. I have been there for enduro races and it’s one of the most beautiful and fun places to ride.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Outside of XC mountain biking I also love enduo racing. In my free time I really enjoy creating art and making it in many different forms. I do digital art, markers, watercolor, or ink and paper. I also really enjoy hiking, camping, and being in the great outdoors!

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am excited to help bring more girls into the realm of mountain biking, as well as strengthening our community of girls that are already in the league. I look forward to all of the opportunities that we have to bring girls together this season, especially outside of the races.

Hi, my name is Haley and I am currently a sophomore on the SLO Scoters team. This will be my third season racing with NorCal and my third year mountain biking! I was very intimidated when I joined my team, especially by the lack of other girls. Despite being fairly new to the sport, I have already developed a strong passion for mountain biking and I cannot wait to be more involved in this incredible community.

What is your favorite trail snack?

My favorite trail snacks are dried mango and stroopwafels!

Where is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place to ride is Montaña de Oro State Park, specifically the Hazard Peak trail.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Outside of mountain biking, I love to sew, hike, camp, and explore the outdoors.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am very excited to strengthen the GRiT community within my team and help recruit more girls to the sport. I hope to create a welcoming space that will make others just as passionate about mountain biking as I am!

My name is Samantha Sanchez I am a 3rd year mountain biker for Salinas high. I am very excited to be a Grit Ambassador this year biking has always been a fun hobby of mine that my dad introduced to me.Biking did eventually became something I loved and so I joined my mountain biking team freshman year and have never regretted the decision. Outside of mountain biking I love to explore, try ,and learn new things whenever opportunities are presented to me.

What is your favorite trail snack?

My favorite trial snack is fruit and any sweet treat I can put in my pocket.

Where is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place to ride is Ford ord! That’s where I go the most often during pre season and during the season. Also where I first started mountain biking when I was a little girl.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

I enjoy reading and immersing myself in different worlds through books. These interests fuel my curiosity and drive, making every day an adventure filled with discovery and learning. I deeply enjoy learning about dinosaurs and have a deep fascination with all dinosaur related topics.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

As someone who loves mountain biking, I understand the importance of resilience and determination in overcoming challenges. Being a Grit Ambassador allows me to share qualities with others, inspiring them to push their limits and embrace the journey of continuous learning and growth.

Hi, my name is Delia (they/them) and I’m a senior at El Cerrito High School! This will be my third year racing and I’m super excited for this season! GRiT has had a positive impact on my life and I look forward to being an ambassador again for my last NICA season.

What is your favorite trail snack?

My favorite trail snack is gummy bears!

Where is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place to ride is Mt. Tam!

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Outside of mountain biking I love to hike, run, and backpack.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I’m super excited to plan some fun events and meet more riders! I love how supportive and empowering the GRiT community is and I would love to get more kids to try it out!

Hi! My name is Samara and I’m a senior on the Berkeley High School Mountain Bike Team. I joined my freshman year, having previously ridden a mountain bike only once before. I was looking for a new sport with a strong community, and after attending just one preseason ride, I knew I had found my place. The tight-knit community and overwhelming positivity led me to fall in love with the sport. Over the years, I’ve met so many amazing people in this beautiful space. Exploring the trails and riding through nature has become my happy place, and I can’t wait for all the GRiT rides this season!

What is your favorite trail snack?

Salted Watermelon Blocs

Where is your favorite place to ride?

I love riding in Joaquin Miller Park because of the stunning redwood trees and views of the bay.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

I love surfing, camping, and doing pretty much anything outdoors.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am excited to introduce more girls to the world of mountain biking and to meet other GRiT riders who share my love for the sport. The GRiT community was one of the main reasons I joined my mountain bike team and the NorCal League, and I want to provide others with the same sense of camaraderie and support that I received.

Hi! My name is Saachi D. Sarnoski and I’m currently a freshman at Monte Vista high school, and I am absolutely thrilled to be chosen as a GRiT ambassador! My dad took me on my first mountain bike ride when I was 10 and I’ve been in love with the sport ever since. This will be my second season biking with NICA, and I am so grateful for all the adventures that mountain biking has given me!

What is your favorite trail snack?

Dried mango

Where is your favorite place to ride?

Joaquin Miller in Oakland!

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

I love to shop, listen to music (all and any types of music) and spend time with my friends.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am the only high school girl on the Monte Vista, and I am so, so excited to have found a community of other girl mountain bikers! I can’t wait to help recruit more female riders and add to the overall GRiT circle!

Hi! I’m Anna, a senior at Drew high school. I am on San Francisco Composite, and am one of our co-captains. I run SF Comp’s Instagram, @sfcomp, on which I create content that highlights our riders and encourages more girls to get into mountain biking. In addition, I work as a paddle board guide for open-water swimmers on the San Francisco Bay, for the organization Water World Swim. At Drew, I am co-captain for our Cross Country and Track teams, and goalie for our Girl’s Soccer team. I am an artist whenever I have free time, and love to draw. I also volunteer at Muttville senior dog rescue once a week, where I take care of the elderly doggies!

What is your favorite trail snack?

Fruit energy gummies

Where is your favorite place to ride?

Mount tam

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Track, cross country, soccer, and art.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am excited because I wasn’t to get more girls into outdoor sports and encourage them to believe in themselves like the older girls on my team did for me.

Hi! My name is Olive and I am a junior at Piedmont High School. I joined the Piedmont High School mountain biking team freshman year and became co-captain this year. This is my third year mountain biking, and I have grown to love the sport. I am super excited to recruit more girls to the sport this year!

What is your favorite trail snack?

I like salted lime gu blocks

Where is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place to ride is the Tahoe Rim Trail. I love the lake views, and it’s a really flowy trail.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Outside of mountain biking, I love to sew, travel, and spend time with friends and family.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am most excited to recruit more girls to the sport. I want to create a safe space for female bikers to have fun and enjoy riding in each other’s company.

I am Rianna Manring, I am currently a senior at East Bay Innovation Academy and have been biking all four years of high school with my team, Oakland Composite. I first started mountain biking with a team in eight grade and quickly fell in love with the sport. This season I am excited to be a GRiT ambassador again to continue to help other girls find the same love for mountain biking that I have.

What is your favorite trail snack?

My favorite trail snack are the Trader Joe’s super sour swimmer gummies

Where is your favorite place to ride?

I love going on adventures to explore new places through mountain biking but my favorite place to ride is my home park, Joaquin Miller Park.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Outside of mountain biking I love to bake and spend time training my dog, Pazi.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am exited this year to help bring more girls into the mountain biking community and to continue to connect the GRiT riders from many different teams within the league.

Hi, I’m Alex and I’m at junior at Berkeley High. I’ve been on the Berkeley High team for the last 3 years and mountain biking since I was 5. I’m excited to help lead grit events with the other ambassadors this year!

What is your favorite trail snack?

sour green apple cliff blocks

Where is your favorite place to ride?

south lake tahoe! Especially the chistmas valley and armstrong trails

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Outside of biking I enjoy running cross country and track, rock climbing, and skiing.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I’m excited to be a NorCal ambassador because of the opportunity to help girls in my community feel more comfortable joining our team, and being able to work with the other GRiT ambassadors.

Hi! My name is Fern, I’m a junior riding with Oakland Composite, and I’ve been riding on trails since I was four years old. I began racing with NorCal in 8th grade, and GRiT has been one of the major reasons I’ve kept riding my bike in the past few years. Getting to ride and race with other girls who love being there as much as I do is my favorite part of mountain biking. I joined Oakland Composite my freshman year, and I was a part of the Oakland DEVO team in middle school. This is my second year as a GRiT ambassador, and I hope to continue to share and spread my love of mountain bike to everyone I can.

What is your favorite trail snack?

I love all snacks! Sour bloks, gels, cliff bars, stroop wafels, pb&j sandwiches, and sour patch kids are some of my favorites.

Where is your favorite place to ride?

I love to ride in China Camp, it’s just so pretty there!

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

I love to read (and listen to audiobooks) and make art (like crocheting, drawing, and painting)!

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I want other girls to feel the same way I do when I get on a bike. I want them to feel the excitement of going fast but also feel like it’s normal to make mistakes. I want mountain biking to be a place where girls can feel supported and empowered.

Hello! My name is Camille Smith and I race mountain bikes for Spartans Composite. I am a Junior at Rio Americano High School and I have been on Spartans for three years. I have been biking for my entire life and racing since I was 10 years old. Mountain biking has been a huge part of my life for so long and I’m super excited to be a GRiT Ambassador to share the sport with more girls. Outside of biking, I love running, hiking and skiing as well.

What is your favorite trail snack?

My favorite trail snack is almond butter filled pretzels for fun rides and vanilla Gus for races.

Where is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place is ride is Whistler in Canada because it is so beautiful and great for developing skills.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Outside of mountain biking, I love to hike, run, go to the gym, and pretty much anything active.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am excited to be a NorCal GRiT Ambassador this year because I want to share my love of cycling with other girls. I am passionate about making the sport less intimidating for women to join. I also want to be involved in planning rides and take more of a leadership role in my community.

Hello! My name is Evelyn and I am a junior on the Humboldt Composite team in Eureka, CA. I started riding bikes during my freshman year of high school and appreciate the challenge, community, and joy spending time on the trail brings. I am thrilled to be part of the shift towards increased accessibility in the sport and a push to get more girls on bikes.

What is your favorite trail snack?

I’m happy with any kind of granola bar 🙂

Where is your favorite place to ride?

Arcata community forest trails or Lacks Creek

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

In my free time, you might find me in my backyard garden or in the kitchen cooking.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am excited to be able to lead GRiT rides and clinics to support women in cycling. Mountain biking has something to offer for everyone and I have seen how much a bicycle can do for you. I hope to share the sport with others where they are received in a supportive, encouraging environment.

My name is Kiera Murray and I’m a sophomore at Lakeview High School. This is my 3rd year on the Middletown Composite team. One of my favorite things about mountain biking is being outdoors and hanging out with friends. In addition to mountain biking I backpack, crochet, and show livestock. I’m really looking forward to making new friends this year in my role as GRiT ambassador.

What is your favorite trail snack?

Watermelon blocs

Where is your favorite place to ride?

Boggs Mountain

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Backpacking

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I am excited to be a GRiT ambassador because I love mountain biking and want to share the sport with other girls.

I’m Johannah and I’m a senior at Tam High. This is my fourth year racing with NICA and I’m super excited to be a GRiT ambassador. I first started mountain biking with my family during COVID. I live at the base of Mount Tam and I love exploring all of the trails on the mountain. When I first started mountain biking, I felt like I was one of the only girls, but after going to the races and other GRiT events I knew that I was supported by a fun and inclusive community. I hope to welcome many more girls into this incredible sport and community!

What is your favorite trail snack?

Tropical punch shot blocks (the best flavor)

Where is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place to ride is Tahoe because of all the amazing views.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

I love adventuring outdoors whether it’s trail running, skiing, surfing, or climbing.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I’m excited to get more girls on bikes from all different backgrounds. I’ve really enjoyed my time with GRiT and the NorCal league and I can’t wait to meet more girls who are also stoked to ride!

Hi, I’m Paloma Nacamuli. I’m a Junior at Redwood High School and first began mountain biking with the Little Bellas when I was in Fourth grade. I started racing in the NICA NorCal League when I was in eighth grade, having grown up with both my dad and brother being part of the mountain biking community. Im particularly proud of how I’ve grown as a rider over the years, and made connections with my teammates and other riders across the league.

What is your favorite trail snack?

I love Cliff Bloks and my favorite flavors are strawberry and ginger ale!

Where is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place to ride is all over Mt Tam, especially the coastal and Mill Valley side – the views are gorgeous.

What is a hobby or interest of yours outside of mountain biking?

Outside of mountain biking I spend a lot of time drawing and painting while listening to music.

Why are you excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador?

I’m excited about being a NorCal GRiT Ambassador because I want to share with other girls how much pride and confidence you can gain from riding your bike and being a part of a team. It’s a really incredible and fun experience and I’ve grown so much by becoming a part of the mountain biking community. I want to encourage others to make friends, make memories, work hard, and have fun.