Over the weekend four Girl Scouts on the Tough Cookies Cycling Team competed in the 39th El Tour de Tucson 42 mile race. All the girls, all 10 or 11 years old, completed the 42 miles in less than 5 hours!
Race day started out with the girls putting on their neon mohawk decorated helmets, and lining up at the start line with over 1,200 other cyclists. CEO Debbie Rich and her husband Bobbie came to see the girls off. Along the course the Team received some well needed food and water from a Girl Scout Aid station, along with good dose of encouragement. The girls triumphed over exhaustion and sore muscles to finish the 42 miles. Just one day after El Tour, as the sore muscles are starting to recover, the girls are already looking forward to the next team ride!
The Tough Cookies worked very hard in preparation for El Tour, training for three months, with practices 2-3 times a week, helped teach a bike safety class, and were professionally fit on their bikes by local coach Brian Grasky.
The girls would like to give a huge thanks to Kristen and Anna for riding with them in El Tour, and our sponsors: Roadrunner Bicycles, Fair Wheel Bikes, Genuine Innovations, The Grasky Endurance Performance Center, Specialized, and Gu Energy.
The Tough Cookie Cycling Team will be starting fun group rides soon, open to everyone. If you are interested in riding with Tough Cookies contact Kat Salthouse at ksalthouse@girlscoutsoaz.org.
