2025 AWARDEES
Jenae Ellig
Why are you interested in obtaining a BICP certification? How do you hope to use this certification in your community?
Yes! I plan to start my own business, teaching ALL who want to learn the foundational movements of mountain biking. Currently, I work at a gym and just got hired as a personal trainer in a local physical therapist office. I plan to incorporate professional bike fittings, one-on-one coaching, group rides, and skills clinics for mountain biking through my own LLC, Alpine Athletics, LLC.
Describe your vision for how you will use this certification to impact your community. Include any specific projects, events, or activities you plan to lead or participate in upon completing your certification.
I plan to offer one-on-one coaching to individuals and host youth/adult skills clinics. I will also promote private group lessons and trail ride guides. I plan to race in the Montana Enduro Series in Helena on June 28th, 2025. I also plan to lead a biking-specific training program through my gym to build strength in fellow mountain biking athletes.
Kristin Litz
Why are you interested in obtaining a BICP certification? How do you hope to use this certification in your community?
I have volunteered as a coach for MT Alpha Jr. (a mountain bike group that empowers girls) for the past few summers. It is amazing to watch these young gals gain confidence, strength, and a love for our public lands throughout the summer. Although I am a passionate mountain biker, I do not have the technical training to effectively know how to help these young ladies improve. A BICP certification would help me gain these skills, which would allow me to be an effective coach for the junior program, as well as some of MT Alpha’s other programs that empower women and non-binary people. Outdoor passions have always improved my personal self-worth, and I would love to help others discover the same joy and resiliency on the bike.
Describe your vision for how you will use this certification to impact your community. Include any specific projects, events, or activities you plan to lead or participate in upon completing your certification.
I will be a volunteer coach at MT Alpha’s summer program that focuses on giving “girls the confidence to push themselves and have fun doing it.” This certification will teach me concrete ways to teach basic-to-advanced technical skills on mountain bikes, teach basic bike mechanics and care, and trail etiquette. Perhaps most importantly, I will be better equipped to not only teach technical skills, but to help girls build community and friendships, and to help deepen their self-worth and self-esteem. I will also continue working with Mountain Bike Missoula – our vision is for the youth committee to continue to grow, which will hopefully include rides and instruction for our aspiring mountain bikers
Brianne Marshall
Why are you interested in obtaining a BICP certification? How do you hope to use this certification in your community?
As a current coach for Durango Devo, Dirty Wheels Mountainbike Coaching and Guiding, and Every Pedal Mtb, I hope to enhance my skills in the Mtb coaching world. I have been interested in obtaining my BICP level 1 cert since before my daughter was born in 2019. I’ve just now been able to find time to further my skills juggling work, family, and finding free time. I’ve been coaching kids, young adults, and women for over 5+ years and I’m not planning to stop anytime soon! I am so lucky to live in such a bike-centric community of Durango, CO, which I’ve lived and have been racing/riding mtbs for almost 15 years ! I want to continue to give back to my community by furthering my coaching skills and get more girls and women on bikes in our community and beyond!
Describe your vision for how you will use this certification to impact your community. Include any specific projects, events, or activities you plan to lead or participate in upon completing your certification.
As a Mtb coach in my community, I coach for 8 weeks in the spring and fall for 2 different non-profit groups. There are multiple events that run throughout the 8 weeks and after, which include an end of the season Devo fun race for the kids to celebrate their seasons, Halloween kids parade to volunteer at also. The other group I coach for is doing multiple clinics to help women learn how to work on their bikes and also a full weekend of coaching at the Zuma Bike Ranch that I will be attending and encouraging the community to take part in. Once I have my BICP level 1, I’ll be more confident and able to lead groups on my own in my community and beyond into New Mexico.