2 minute read
Featured Athlete
And then there were the people along the way. That was the best part, just meeting them and seeing, for the most part, how generous they were.
I think it was about Day 5 when I had been riding three hours in the rain and I had no cell service when I pulled into Pete’s Camp and had this conversation that totally changed the event for me.
Pete is this incredibly generous person who has a cabin and campsite on his land where he lets bikepackers and others traveling the back roads stay for free. He calls us all “guests of Vermont.” I camped there that night and decided that the next morning I was going to find cell service and call someone to come pick me up.
Well, Pete showed up that next morning while I was brushing my teeth and crying and we had this incredible heart to heart. He didn’t tell me what I should do but said “What can I do to help you keep going?” It was just so sincere and that connection is what helped me get going on this project to make a film about the experience.
Tell us about your documentary film about the Super8.
This year I won’t be racing because I will be filming a feature length film about the Super8. We’ll be out there on bikes and following different riders but also talking
This fall Gorman will follow the Super8 with a camera crew, filming a documentary. Photo by Brittni Gorman
with them about how they got ready for the event. Mentally and emotionally, it’s so different for everyone. I didn’t do a lot of prep and only decided to do it a month out but some people had been planning for six months and it’s really interesting to look into how people go about these events and why they choose to spend their 10 days or so of vacation bikepacking. Part of the story is the community that’s formed here and how it brings people together who might not normally cross paths except for this event.
What else did you take away from the experience?
Part of the game is you are constantly shifting things and continually learning what your thresholds are. There’s a lot of talking to yourself and saying, ‘ok, I’ve been here before and this too will pass but here’s what will help me to get from Point A to Point B. And it’s really about simplifying things and knowing what your needs are and how to express them and if that's something you can do on your own or that you need help with.
So much of that correlates to our lives and even our relationships. At some points on the trail, I think: Ok I’ve been here before in a relationship. Or in a relationship, I think: Ok, I’ve been here before on the trail and that familiarizes these feelings and makes them a little more approachable when you are in that situation again.
The event is not just about sharpening your skills as an athlete but as an individual and a human and how to better yourself in all aspects of your life. —L.L.
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