I think I woke up even before the alarm. Threw my bike in my jeep and headed out. There wasn't much more to it back then. I was nothing but smiles with the excitement of doing something new and doing it all on my own. At the start line I looked over the competition. Most of these women had jerseys with team names and front suspension and clipless pedals. Was I in the right place? Was this really the beginner class? Once the race started, none of that mattered and I was at the front. I rode harder on the climbs and hung it out further on the descents than I ever had before. I stood up and sprinted for a 3rd place finish. I was elated, thrilled. I was hooked.

Three recreational seasons, six stitches in my elbow, one season of racing more than I had the three before combined, and lots of encouragement later; it's the 1997 NCS opener at Big Bear, CA. Sixty pro women and spectators three deep along the start chute wait. The National Anthem plays and it all sinks in: This is a Professional sporting event and I am a Professional athlete. Of course, I don't feel much different than I did at that first mountain bike race; a little older maybe, a little stronger, and much more nervous. I choke back a tear of joy and think of all the daydreams it took to get here. Goals have been set and reached, dreams become reality, and a whole new set of goals and dreams lie on the trails ahead of me. The start gun goes off.

----Jilayne Lovejoy