Ayesha McGowan has announced nine recipients of Thee Abundance Mini-Grant that will provide full support to the athletes at Tour of America’s Dairyland (TOAD) held from June 17-12 in communities throughout South-east Wisconsin.
The names of each recipient were released on Thee Abundance Mini Grant page on McGowan’s website, A Quick Brown Fox. The winners of the mini-grant are Gabriella Allong, Rachel Parker, Guarina Lopez, Bijou Vaultz, Carissa Yao, Valeria Diaz, Ajoa Abrokwa, Nicole Young, and Uhllana Woods.
"I look forward to sharing more about our recipients in the coming weeks. It is also a priority to provide as much support as possible to the remaining applicants," McGowan wrote on her website.
Thee Abundance Mini-Grant received 160 applications and while the programme intended to support five to seven athletes, it raised enough funds to support eight adults and one junior with entries, housing, transportation, a food stipend, and a few additional resources during TOAD.
Continued donations will be accepted in order to support additional riders with two options. Option A: Entry fees for Tour of America's Dairyland.
"While I cannot accommodate other logistics* for folks outside of the Mini-Grant program, I am able to cover entry fees if they are able to figure out the rest. If you applied for the mini-grant please watch your inbox for more details soon. I will be sure to give a bit of lead time so you can prepare if interested!" McGowan wrote.
Option B includes an entry fee and a day licence for one local race.
"If you would like to try a race near you, let me know and I will cover the entry fee and the cost of your day license. The rider will be responsible for all other logistics*." McGowan wrote.
McGowan also stated that the progamme will assist in connecting athletes to a local club or team.
The selection committee for Thee Abundance Mini Grant included five people: McGowan, Amber Pierce, Samantha Scripio, Lai King Moy and Tonya Miller.
McGowan, who competes for the Liv Racing Women's WorldTeam, was named to Cyclingnews' The Power List: The 50 most influential people in cycling in 2020. She has been advocating for better representation in the bike industry for years, using her voice to support and speak up for increased diversity inside the sport's brands, organisations, events, teams and media.
She is also well-known for her work in building and maintaining A Quick Brown Fox, a website that includes her blog along with The Quick Brown Foxes Podcast. She has made outstanding progress in inspiring, influencing and leading the next generation of African American women in cycling.
