Marla Streb Rocks

I finished Marla Streb's autobiography, Downhill - The Life Story of a Gravity Goddess and I can't gush enough about how great it was. I picked it up at a used book store not expecting much more than a bunch of stories interspersed with "rad", "gnarly", and "wicked". Not remotely close. Marla has a Master's degree in molecular biology and her writing reflects that intelligence and also allows her to open up with honesty and introspection on her life thus far. Depression? Yup. Drinking problem? Yup. Eating disorder? Yup. Hate your corporate job? Yup. Have dreams that no one else believes in? Yup. Take off on your bike as a means to find yourself? Yup. She shares it all. Her humbleness is also fetching as she could be any one of us who started with nothing and attained her dreams on stubborness, independence, talent, and guts. I'm especially fond to read of another woman who rides for the pure love of being on a bike and the therapy it provides. Just to ride and ride and come home stronger knowing that your steed carried you to a new level. No one else got you there, just you and your beloved bike.

And then there's that picture of her from Outside magazine a few years ago. I LOVE that picture. The strength, the beauty, the love of a girl and her bike. That butt tatoo from her Single Speed World Championship. It's all there. I printed it out and plastered it on my refrigerator. I could look like that. Some day.