Community Story: Marion Gottschalk
For Marion Gottschalk, Riding Mountain Bikes Inspires a Love for the Outdoors
Of all the possible activities, Marion Gottschalk never expected to fall in love with mountain biking. As a former tennis player and current downhill skier, road cyclist, singer and entrepreneur, the notion of grinning while spinning wild trails on chunky tires took her by surprise. Sometimes it’s our kids who welcome us to new adventures.
“After trying cross country running and basketball and 50 million other sports with our middle school son, Matt, we decided to try mountain biking.”
Marion’s friend and neighbor coached the Shorewood High School Mountain Biking Team so she walked across the street and asked a handful of questions about the sport.
“Matt attended a week-long mountain biking camp in Shorewood and immediately decided mountain biking was his forever sport. We went to Wheel & Sprocket and bought him a Trek Marlin and he LOVED IT.”
Marion expected she’d drive her kid to his new activity for the next few years but hadn’t imagined the bike rack would hold a ride for her too.
“After about a month Matt said to me, “You know mom, everybody else on the team has a parent who rides mountain bikes too…”
She consulted her neighbor pal about riding and coaching and participated in NICA On-The-Bike 101 class on the Trek Trails in Waterloo, Wisconsin. NICA, National Interscholastic Cycling Association, develops interscholastic mountain biking programs for student-athletes across the United States. The organization oversees local riding clubs and state chapters such as the Wisconsin Interscholastic Cyling League.
“The next thing I knew I was mountain biking and got my coach’s license and was learning as I went along. I loved hanging out in nature and being with my kid multiple times a week.”
Becoming a coach opened a broader two-wheeled world for Marion. She found that NICA teaches coaches and student athletes how to be as safe as possible while participating in a sport, like any, containing inherent risk.
“Since beginning to coach I’ve just started to really love cycling. I’ve been riding more in general, riding my road bike more, I’ve done a couple of centuries now. Deciding to coach might be the best thing I’ve ever done.” Mountain biking was a surprise for her not just in physical activity but in finding her place in the outdoors.
“I was comfortable being outside playing tennis or running cross country - but those are meticulously curated environments. If someone doesn’t grow up playing in the woods, those wilderness spaces can be intimidating.”
She found an encouraging and supportive community in NICA’s approach to welcoming new families to explore riding and camping in the outdoors.
“Growing up in a family that didn’t camp to suddenly sleeping in a tent next to 100 of your best friends at the races every weekend was definitely a learning curve. NICA does a great job of preparing NICA parents for what they’re signing up for. All those basics of the outdoors - how to set up your tent, how to store your food…the coaches were so helpful.”
For Marion, her mountain bike became a vehicle to develop an initial comfort and then excitement and passion for exploring wilderness landscapes and discovering wildlife along mountain biking trails.
“I’ve seen snakes and mice and gophers and badgers and watched otters build dens while riding in La Crosse…at first you see those animals and scream with surprise. But if you’re out riding every weekend you become familiar with and excited to explore nature.”
She’s found that riding bikes is an ultimate family activity and can be inclusive of various skill levels.
“Getting outside on the weekend with your family for a bike ride away from your screens, away from your problems, away from the city fosters cohesion within a family and is a natural bridge to experiencing that family time parents strive to create.”
Marion also noticed that riding trails provides crucial time away from distractions and screens.
“The summer my son started mountain biking we’d also gotten him a phone. But he was more interested in learning to do a bunny hop or rolling over the curb or building trails in his grandparents’ backyard than he was with sitting on his phone. I’ve noticed that with the other kids too - other than looking at how-to videos about riding…the phones stay in their pockets. Their focus on being outside and working to better themselves is incomparable.”
Several years have passed since Matt participated in that first mountain biking camp. Last spring he graduated high school and this fall started attending college for audio engineering. But he hasn’t gone far. His NICA experience has come full-cycle and Matt is now coaching middle and high schoolers - of course as often as his studies will allow. Both Marion and Matt coach for NorthShore Composite Mountain Biking Team.
As far as Marion’s participation in mountain biking? She’s signed on as Board Secretary for Metro Milwaukee Mountain Bikers, a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to growing and maintaining the network of riding trails throughout Southeastern Wisconsin. When not out riding themselves, the group is currently working on improving and expanding the trail network throughout the region.
“At this point I can’t imagine my life without cycling and mountain biking,” grins Marion, “and I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.”