New scholarship aims to diversify gravel-cycling space

Published 9:30 am Thursday, July 31, 2025

Avid cyclist Carol Chow has long been accustomed to riding in an environment where no one else looks like her. She had also become used to training solo, until a friend proposed participating in the 105-mile century ride with Reach the Beach, a fundraiser for the American Lung Association held in May.

Chow and her friend formed a team of five BIPOC women and spent months training for the cycling event.

“Over the course of training, we realized this really makes a difference in our lives, in each other’s lives to see people that look like us doing this together and creating joy and taking up space,” Chow said.

On the day of the big ride, the group had a realization. They were the only BIPOC women on the course, Chow said.

From left, Carol Chow, Young-Eun Kim, Vivian Phan, Vickie Connor and Ivette Uribe pose at the start of the Reach the Beach ride held by the American Lung Association in May. (Submitted photo)

The lack of diversity on the ride inspired Chow to take action. After realizing many of her friends had benefited from scholarships that made gravel riding more accessible, Chow started searching for other similar scholarship opportunities. Her search turned up few results.

So Chow reached out to Serena Bishop Gordon, founder of Special Blend Gravel, a women-led cycling organization offering multi-day camps and one-on-one coaching in an environment that welcomes riders of all backgrounds.

At the time Gordon received Chow’s call, the cycling organization was relatively new. Gordon had a scholarship program on her to-do list, which was fast-tracked by Chow’s inquiry, Gordon said.

This September, Special Blend Gravel and the She Sends Foundation will offer four scholarships to BIPOC women, women-identifying and nonbinary cyclists to attend the Fall 2025 gravel cycling camp in McKenzie Bridge, according to a press release.

Giving back to the sport

Gordon began racing in her late 20s and was unexpectedly met with success in the sport, she said.

“The cycling community has shaped my life in ways that I never expected. As I moved from racing at the elite level nationally and internationally, I was like, I want to give back to this sport,” Gordon said.

Special Blend Gravel and the She Sends Foundation are offering four scholarships to BIPOC women, women-identifying and non-binary cyclists this fall. (Submitted photo)

Gordon hopes to continually break down barriers through her programming, as she believes the strength of community is measured by diversity.

“I really believe that if we can gain confidence and skill on the bike, that can be translated into every other aspect of our lives,” Gordon said. “We need more strong, confident women now more than ever to show up and shine their light. It makes our communities stronger and more positive and more vibrant.”

The deadline for scholarship submissions for the fall camp is Aug. 10. It will also be offered for the 2026 spring and fall camps. Apply at specialblendgravelcamp.com/scholarship