Bike Life Voices: Cory Wala

My name is Cory.
I’m an avid mountain biker and a registered nurse.

Being a BIPOC, have you had any issues establishing yourself in the mountain biking community?

I haven’t had any issues, but then again, we usually keep to ourselves and just have fun.

Being on YouTube, do you feel that sharing your riding adventures have made you more approachable and relatable to folks in the mountain biking community?

Yes. I think that when people see a normal person attempting certain features and progressing on them, they can relate. 

People come up to me all the time and tell me that I inspire them to try features they wouldn’t otherwise. If I can do it, anyone can.

What would you love to see happen in the industry to make it more inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC persons?

I don’t know if I’m the right person to ask because I never really felt excluded, and we have LGBTQIA and BIPOC friends that also mountain bike. I don’t know if the situation is different with professional athletes, but I’ve always felt that the mtb industry and community has been pretty inclusive. Recently we had a transsexual bodybuilder post some mtb stuff in our local mtb groups and all the comments were positive. In fact, no one brought up the issue. They just saw a person being a badass on a bike.

Do you have any favorite cycling-specific organizations/groups that are BIPOC and LGBTQIA+  that folks should know about?

I'm sorry. I’m pretty clueless when it comes to groups and stuff. It’s usually just me and my husband riding trails, sessioning features, and just having fun.

How can we, as a collective, ensure that the cycling industry is more inclusive?

Again, I don’t feel the mtb industry excludes anyone. There might be some problematic individuals, but they don’t represent the industry or the overall vibe of the biking community.

Any final thoughts/ideas you'd like to share?

Don’t worry about what anybody thinks. Just be yourself, ride your bike, and have fun!