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The College of St.Scholastica is equippingcareprofessionals through CSWE-accredited, values-based undergraduate and graduate social work programs.

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BA in Social Work

•Values-based curriculum including interprofessional education and 570 hours of in-field service

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Schultz bought her first mountain bike about 15 years ago. She initially started biking to spend more time with her husband, who is an avid biker. Despite her husband’s encouragement, Schultz didn’t take to biking right away. It wasn’t until she began to focus “on the joy of achieving” that css.edu/socialwork

Continued on page 10 she began to develop her own interest.

“The more I tried to keep up with him, the better I got,” Schultz said.

Schultz switched between her mountain bike and fat bike for many years, but recently downsized to a bike that can be equipped with regular mountain or fat bike tires. Her new bike is lighter than a traditional fat bike, so she gets the stability of the wider tires without as much of the weight to pull uphill.

McFadden also bikes with her family; she actually met her husband through mountain biking as they both chased races across the Upper Midwest. They take family trips centered around mountain biking, travelling to places like Moab, Utah; Fruita, Colorado; and Bentonville, Arkansas.

Her favorite trip is to compete in the SingleTrack 6 race in British Columbia, Canada, which she has done several times.

Each of the six days of the event are in different locations. McFadden doesn’t race as much as she used to, but gets out when she can.

Schultz, who is from Santa Fe, New Mexico, has also traveled West to bike. She and her husband wintered in New Mexico the last few years and have been to Montana and the Four Corners, biking in every state. Schultz also races about once or twice a year.

Both McFadden and Schultz are involved in the local bike club called Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS), which advocates for and maintains trails across the Twin Ports. McFadden has served on the board of the organization, and the two have both volunteered with trail building and maintenance.

“Being in the woods on the trails is really my happy place,” McFadden said.

In addition to the serenity of the woods, McFadden loves the problem-solving aspect of biking — figuring out how to get around or through obstacles and having the technical knowhow to take care of oneself on the trail.

“I like the fact that (biking) takes you out of your headspace and makes you more in tune with what’s actually going on around you,” Schultz said. “You’re always looking at the terrain. You’re in the moment, always.”

Both McFadden and Schultz emphasized the power of community in biking, particularly for women, as mountain

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• biking tends to be a male-dominated sport.

Schultz reflected on how she’d often be the only woman to show up to a group ride when she first started — and she’d be on a fat bike, which was a kind of double whammy as they tend to be heavier and slower. Now she sees many more women in the sport.

“Building up your confidence is kind of something that is done from one woman to the next,” Schultz said.

McFadden has a group of women whoM she rides with every Tuesday night, year-round. She said she sees many more women and families out on the trails now than when she first started, which makes her happy.

Group rides are something both McFadden and Schultz highly recommend to folks who are new to fat biking, so reach out to someone who has more expertise. The Ski Hut and COGGS both host group rides and can be great connection points.

For those who want to give winter biking a try, Schultz said: “Start slow and give yourself freedom to go slow. Don’t try to keep up when you just get started. Go at your own pace.”

McFadden emphasized grit.

“I think sometimes the motivation during the winter is what’s lacking. It’s cold outside. It gets dark earlier.

Sometimes it can just be tough to motivate yourself to get out. I’ve found that once you get outside and do it, you never regret it.” D

By Andrea Busche

January is National Mentoring Month, an annual, nationwide mentoring campaign dedicated to celebrating and promoting the mentoring movement. But what exactly is mentoring, you might ask?

Mentoring is a special, unique friendship, typically consisting of a youth matched with a responsible, caring adult. The pair enjoy spending quality time together, doing activities they both enjoy. The relationship is healthy and beneficial for a mentor and mentee alike.

Did you know the Twin Ports has its own active mentoring community? Mentor North, based out of Duluth’s Damiano Center, has two programs: Mentor Duluth and Mentor Superior, covering both sides of the bridge.

The organization currently has 140 active matches, but is looking for more people to support the cause; there are 198 youth who remain on Mentor North’s waitlist. There is a huge demand for all volunteers, but Mentor North has a particular need for more male mentors, mentors of color, and mentors who identify as LGBTQ+.

History

Mentoring has been an important part of the Twin Ports community for decades.

“Mentor North started as the Mentor Duluth Collaborative in 1996,” Mentor North Executive Director Erin Moldowski