From Guidance to Growth: WiMTB Mentoring Program Enters Its Impact Phase

Women remain underrepresented across the mountain bike ecosystem – from trail associations and trail crews to guiding, advocacy, tourism, academia, industry, media, and leadership roles. Many find themselves as “the only one” in their organization or team, which can make otherwise enjoyable work feel more challenging or isolating at times, with limited access to women colleagues, mentors, or support networks. Despite progress, this lack of visibility and connection continues to impact confidence, career development, and long-term retention.

A major goal of the WiMTB Network was to develop and deliver a mentoring program connecting experienced professionals with women in the network who want to advance their careers. In May, two years after IMBA Europe board member Manon Carpneter and former president Thomas Larsen Schmidt formed the network at the IMBA Europe Summit 2024, we launched the WiMTB Mentoring program. Initially, the program focused on women working and volunteering on the trails and in the guiding/instructing sector.

Conversations within the network, through our bi-monthly meetings and discussions, showed that these two areas needed the most support. Uplift, the industry mentoring program, has done a fantastic job over the last 3 years connecting and inspiring women working directly in the bike industry. However, it focused more on the road and mobility side of cycling, leaving a gap for women working in mountain biking. Because the sector is so diverse – trail advocates, trail builders, small business owners, guides and instructors, former racers – we needed to develop our own network.

The program is now approaching its final two months of the 6-month program, and we have had a chance to speak with some mentors and mentees and gauge how the program has served them so far. The women applying to the mentoring program were a mix of those starting in their respective sectors and those who had been there for a while but needed guidance and a confidence boost to level up in their careers. When asked why this program was important to them, one mentee said, “I thought it was a great opportunity to network and learn from women with more knowledge and experience advocating for women in mountain biking. Cooperation is so powerful, and I am also very grateful to gain an international viewpoint on this matter.”

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From the mentor perspective, joining the program was about giving back to the community, while also ensuring the next generation of trail-blazing women do not have to go through the same struggles as those who came before. As one mentor put it, “We all need a bit of support and an independent ‘sounding board’ during our professional journeys, and it is very easy to feel alone as a woman in the mountain bike guiding industry. We are all walking our own path, but sometimes it’s great to have someone who has experienced a similar route by your side to cheer you on and help you see the way forward just a little more clearly.”

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Over the next two months, mentors and mentees will reflect on their progress, address any underlying uncertainties, and explore ways to test and apply the new guidance and teachings they’ve learned. After the program ends, the WiMTB steering committee will review feedback from this year’s program and define clear steps for continued mentee development beyond the program.