Name: Amy Alton Age: 44
Lives in: Pittsfield, Vt.
Occupation: Founder, M.E.T. Consulting, a skill purchase service for services in Vermont as well as nationwide.
Family: Covenant partner/husband Vaughn Micciche
Primary sports: Downhill as well as cross-country mountain biking
Riding with Amy Alton on the downhill tracks at Killington Resort’s bike park is like going on a roller coaster trip with stand-up comedian/therapist: it’s equal parts fun, thrills as well as laughter. The two-hour, Friday divas of dirt rides improve both your riding as well as your technique to life.
“Your knees requirement to be wide, like a cowgirl,” Alton states we dismount as well as get prepared for one more trip up Snowshed lift. She then drops her butt, spreads her legs as well as bounces up as well as down swinging one arm above her in a yee-haw rodeo stance. “And I indicate sluuuuuttttty cowgirl!” Alton phone calls out, addressing a group of women motorcyclists who variety from a retired schoolteacher who just recently transferred to Killington to a pro
Now a pro rider, Alton didn’t begin racing up until seven years ago. picture courtesy Amy Alton
rider who came up from Pennsylvania for Alton’s July weekend downhill camp.
Alton is regularly moving, gesticulating, wisecracking as well as dishing out profound bits of bike wisdom that double as life lessons: “You requirement to just let your concern go,” “Don’t look at the obstacles, look where you want to go.” as well as she frequently completes each piece of recommendations with a deep breath as well as a “Namaste.”
Alton, who helped Camiseta Leicester City the department of defense for lots of years, is a force to contend with. divas of dirt rides are Friday afternoons, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., on August 9 as well as 23, as well as 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on September 6 as well as 20 as well as October 4. The rides are complimentary with a valid park pass as well as discounted park passes as well as $29 downhill bike rentals are available.
What brought you to Killington?
As part of our “Operation Happiness,” my dude as well as I made a deliberate option to make Vermont home, moving from the D.C.-Baltimore area at the end of 2015… you know, just in time for that ‘no snow’ winter.
After a quick layover with a great friend in Ludlow, I ended up being affiliated with Killington Bike Park in 2016 as well as we started trying to find a location to store our fleet of bikes, off-roading as well as outside gear, many tools, race vehicle parts as well as tires, as well as Camiseta Villarreal CF then perhaps a 20’x20’ location to lay our heads. thanks to Craigslist we discovered the only location in the area that had a garage big sufficient to store all we had. bit did I understand that this glacial valley in the eco-friendly Mountains would be my Mecca. It’s a great location called Pittsfield, it warms my spirit as well as has high-speed fiber optic internet. hell yes!
How did you begin racing mountain bikes?
I was lured into the pain cave by my dude, Vaughn, who signed me up for a mountain bike race in 2012. It just occurred to be at the UCI world cup in Windham, N.Y. Seriously! I had just gotten my very first full-suspension mountain bike in 2011 as well as discovered myself subscribed for a cross country race on a world cup course.
While pre-riding the course, on the third steep pitch—which I had no service climbing—I believed my heart was going to jump out of my skin as well as hit me in the face.
But at that moment I had an epiphany—it may have just been a serious lack of oxygen to my brain however I thought: if I spent eight hours on my bike training instead of sitting behind a computer screen or at meetings, I might ended up being a pro mountain biker. At my second race ever, I qualified for nationals.
What was your finest finish?
It’s difficult to state what’s ‘best’. Each race as well as result have indicating to me. I’ve won Nationals twice as well as likewise won pro races across several disciplines. I assumption I’d have to state my very first legitimate pro win which was an Eastern specifies cup Enduro (a 5-stage race) in 2015 in Pennsylvania. That was by far the most impactful since it was perhaps my tenth race ever. I verified to myself keeping that win that I was at the elite racing level; that if I focused as well as stayed disciplined—trained properly, stayed strong, ate right, kept my bike dialed, however generally might keep the rubber side down, I might hit the top step of a podium holding a check.
What sports did you do growing up?
I grew up in Cleveland, where there are no mountains as well as team sports reigned supreme. I discovered exactly how to trip a bike, like most, in a cul de sac however generally played all those team sports like basketball, softball, etc. I likewise grew up riding as well as showing horses. I was invited as a youth rider to train quarter as well as paint horses at a ranch in Texas when I Camiseta Selección de fútbol de Serbia was sixteen as well as that ended up having a profound infnullnull