I have been riding trials on and off for 30 years . I got my start in trials when my husband Kevin Krahel ( then boyfriend ) invited me to a COTA trials event to watch him compete back in ‘ 86 . After being introduced to fellow members and watching Kevin compete , I fell in love . That is , with the sport ! ( and the guy ) I was wanting to compete . I didn ’ t want to be a spectator any longer .
I didn ’ t have any type of off-road motorcycle experience and making the jump from spectator to rider wasn ’ t going to be easy . However , I was confident in my athletic abilities from mountain bicycling , down-hill skiing and rollerskating experience to help me navigate this new sport .
Having wheels below me felt natural . I remember a time when Kevin was first teaching me to ride on a trials bike . We were at Diamond Mill , Oregon , a thick forest with ferns , rocks and moss scattered everywhere . I was at the top of a hill with Kevin where he told me to “ just go down the hill and stop ”. Well , I didn ’ t just go down the hill . I flew down the hill , swerving trying not to run into any trees . You see , when I first started down the hill , I pulled in my clutch thinking it was my front brake . ( Rookie mistake ) Man , I was terrified . When I eventually got down to the bottom , I took off my helmet and threw it on the ground . I thought to myself , “ is this for me ?” Heck yea . I ’ m not going to let a little scare like that stop me !
In my 20 ’ s , I was the first woman to win the PNTA ( Pacific Northwest Trials Association ) Novice Class . All classes are and were gender inclusive however I competed mainly amongst men throughout my trials career .
After that win , I moved up to the Intermediate Class . I did take a break from riding for a while to have three wonderful children . I would ride once in a while but didn ’ t compete . I missed competing . So , Kevin and I decided to raise our kids in a trials world and I dove right back into practicing and have been competing ever since .
For the 2020 COTA Banquet Award , I placed 10th out of 50 riders for the Novice Class . I am especially proud of this award because of my diagnoses of breast cancer in June of 2020 . I was really let down by this because I had been putting in a tremendous amount of work towards this sport . The good news is my cancer was caught early and in remission . With rest and more hard work , I was back practicing and competing by September 1 , 2020 !
I am currently riding in the Novice class . Past years , I have ridden the Intermediate class . All classes again being co-ed but I like to note it was
VOL . 6 ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2021 // PAGE 127