Hiiiiii 👋

My name is Jess, and this is my face👇

The face belongs to a body (also mine) that has a thing for big adventures on bikes.

What I care about

• Supporting mental and physical wellness through cycling

• The power of nature and the outdoors

• Helping women feel confident and empowered on bikes

• Building and nurturing communities of like-minded individuals

• Personal growth and pushing mental and physical limits

• Authenticity and vulnerability

I’ve highlighted the last one in bold because it’s the very reason you’re reading these words right now.

I started Beyond the Finish Line because I find things hard.

When I first started cycling ~3 years ago I was taken aback by how slow and weak I felt compared to other cyclists. My heart rate would be through the roof, whilst others would cruise by, nattering away as though their lungs weren’t on the verge of collapse.

“Don’t worry, it gets easier!” people would say.

And that’s exactly what I thought too.

Except it didn’t.

Even as I hit my first 100km…200km…300km, I had this dispirited sense that everyone else was finding it so much easier than me.

I remember coming home after group rides and flooding my journal with words of self-doubt, berating my perceived flaws, mistakes, and shortcomings.

Sometimes I wanted to give up cycling all together because I assumed it “just wasn’t for me”.

All I’d wanted in those moments (when I was gasping for air, or the last one up a hill - or most likely both) was for someone to raise their hand and say “Me too”.

But that hand never came.

And so I started writing; sharing all of the times I found something hard, whether it was suffering from debilitating saddle sores, or the constant fear of not being “strong” or “fast” enough to finish an event.

I wanted others to know that they weren’t alone.

And I still do.

You might look at some of my big adventures on bikes and think “It’s easy for her”, but I want you to know that it isn’t.

I’m not a fast cyclist. I’ll never break any records or be at the pointy end of a race, and that’s ok.

I want to do it anyway.

And if by continuing to be vulnerable about my learnings (and failings) it inspires one more person to keep riding, or sign up for that event, or discover the life-affirming, unadulterated joy that comes from adventuring by bike, then it will have been worth it.

What you can look forward to

• In-depth, captivating accounts of all my two-wheeled adventures, including race recaps and the odd weekend jaunt. I try to keep these as authentic and honest as possible, sharing the highs, the lows, and everything in between. 🚴

• Practical advice for planning your own two-wheeled adventures, including the gear I’m obsessed with, a rundown of everything bikepacking bags, and how I finally managed to ride saddle-sore free! 🎉

• Unfiltered musings straight from my over-anxious brain - raw thoughts, doubts, and general vulnerabilities about life that don’t always involve a bike. If you’re ready for some real talk that goes way beyond the pedals, you’re in the right place. ❤️‍🩹

So what are you waiting for?

Pop your email in the snazzy purple box below and I’ll see you in your inbox soon 👋