Connect. Support. Amplify

WHO WE ARE

The Women in Mountain Biking (WiMTB) Network is an IMBA Europe initiative dedicated to building a more equitable, visible, and connected future for women+ in the European mountain bike sector. Rooted in the belief that the sport thrives when every voice is recognised, the network brings together a diverse community of women+ whose expertise and leadership continually shape the landscapes, stories, and experiences of mountain biking across the continent.

The network is coordinated by IMBA Europe’s staff and board, and supported by a committed steering committee, the network provides a structured space for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and sector-wide engagement. Its purpose is not only to elevate women+ already active in the sport, but to ensure their contributions are understood as integral — central to the development, sustainability, and cultural fabric of mountain biking.

Definition of women+: The FIAS Framework refers to ‘women+’ to extend beyond biological sex, and include others who are underrepresented or face gender- based marginalization.

Mentoring Program

In May 2026, we are proud to announce the launch of the Women in Mountain Biking Mentoring Program – a community-driven initiative designed to support, empower, and retain women+ working and volunteering across the mountain biking sector, with initial focus on trail building and advocacy, guiding and coaching.

This program is a direct response to the needs expressed by women+ within the community. During the WiMTB Network’s launch at the IMBA Europe Summit in June 2024, participants were asked what they most wanted to see from the network. A mentoring program quickly emerged as a top priority. The message was clear: women+ in mountain biking want connection, guidance, and a visible pathway to shape their futures in the activity they love.

More information

Steering Committee

Lesley Ingram

Lesley is an academic at Edinburgh Napier University and works with the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland. A former cross-country (XC) mountain bike racer, Lesley is passionate about mountain biking, with a focus on research, well-being, inclusion & diversity, and the development of the sport. Combining professional expertise with personal experience, she is dedicated to advancing the field and fostering growth within the mountain biking community.

Eveline Elsinga

Eveline Elsinga is a passionate mountain biker, mountain bike guide-trainer, community builder, and train-the-trainer facilitator. She is strongly committed to developing inclusive communities and training and coaching individuals within organizations to foster balance and inclusivity. She firmly believes that change begins with local communities, aiming to create healthier and more proactive environments that add value to society. As a trainer of future mountain bike guides, she helps organizations engage and retain more women in mountain biking. She has worked with the Dutch police and collaborated on Dutchgirls on Wheels, where she is part of the organizes programs and events across the Netherlands and Europe.

Sonja Schreiter

As a studied health manager and enthusiastic nature lover, Sonja started mountain biking in 2009. In 2015 she began volunteering for the Deutsche Initiative Mountainbike e.V. DIMB in her local Mountainbike community and then even became the spokesperson for a local advocacy group in the south of Bavaria. Since 2021 she is employed as an advocacy officer and special consultant at the DIMB, where, in addition to lobbying for mountain biking at the federal level, she also advices clubs and communities on trail building topics in Bavaria and the eastern German states.

Fee Wallace

A seasoned trail stalwart, Fee now has a trail development based and adventure tourism employment role after years of supporting her local trail associations in a voluntary capacity. Her work included supporting women-only trail days, understanding the complexities and intricacies of such events and supporting the growth of the scene of trail builders and riders within her local area. She has participated in events, coaching and group rides and has experience in all these based both within mixed gender and women only. She was able to transfer her background in social work (and the skills gained here, relating to working in challenging situations, chairing meetings, and working within policies and legislative frameworks) to the mountain biking world and started linking people, communities and groups together in a way that challenges exclusion, celebrates differences and unites people over the stoke of bikes and trails. 

Kath Goodey

Katherine has been mountain biking since the late 1990s. As a qualified outdoor education teacher, mountain biking is now her full-time job as the founder of RideHigh MT with planning journeys by bike for both my customers and friends. She has raced DH, Enduro and mass start races such as the Megavalanche and Maxiavalanche. She specialises in coaching women riders and introducing them to natural trails and forests. As the chair of her local trail association, she campaigns for increasing responsible access for mountain bikers to our hills and mountains within Eryri National Park in Wales. Her new passion in the realm of mountain biking is learning about trail building to get as many women and youngsters out on dig days as possible. Her goal is to change the image of trail building and move it to be more inclusive, friendly, responsible and less ‘no dig no ride bro’!

Tabea Grüner

Tabea discovered mountain biking five years ago and quickly became an active part of her local MTB community. She organizes community rides and, together with the Bolzen Crew, hosts a small annual MTB festival in Northern Bavaria. She’s currently completing her certification as a mountain bike skills instructor to help more people feel confident and have fun on their bikes.

She works as a Marketing Manager at ALLEGRA, a company dedicated to developing sustainable mountain biking destinations and infrastructure. As a volunteer with Protect Our Winters Germany, she advocates for climate action and sustainability. With a background in sports science, economics, and law, Tabea is passionate about creating a more inclusive, open, and balanced MTB community and industry for everyone.

Network Coordinators

Manon Carpenter

Manon Carpenter is a former UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion who has transitioned from elite sport to environmental research and advocacy. After a standout racing career that saw her crowned both World Champion and overall World Cup winner in 2014, Manon retired from professional downhill racing in 2017 to pursue her academic and environmental interests.

Now based at the University of Leeds, Manon is completing her PhD as a postgraduate researcher at the Institute of Geophysics and Tectonics within the School of Earth and Environment. Her research investigates how and why deformation is localised within the Earth’s crust, combining fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and numerical modelling to better understand geological fault processes.

Alongside her research, Manon remains closely connected to the mountain biking community through her work with Specialized Soil Searching, Patagonia, and Protect Our Winters UK. She continues to use her platform to explore how riders can engage with environmental issues and land access more sustainably.

Her film and advocacy work — including Trails on Trial and the Reframing Mountain Biking project — focus on building positive relationships between riders, land managers, and the wider public, helping shape a more inclusive and environmentally aware future for the sport.

Loren Rowney

Loren Rowney is the Communications and Project Coordinator at IMBA Europe, where she combines her background in environmental science with over two decades of experience in the cycling industry. With a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science specializing in Ecology and Conservation Biology, Loren brings a unique sustainability perspective to IMBA Europe’s campaigns and partnerships.

A former professional road cyclist, Loren has transitioned her passion for cycling into advocacy—championing inclusivity, accessibility, and environmental responsibility within the sport. She also leads the Women in Mountain Biking Network, advancing gender diversity and opportunities in mountain biking, and co-hosts the WheelTalk Cycling Podcast, where she shares stories that inspire connection, community, and action through cycling.