Elissa Cummings on Racing MTB, Recovering from a Concussion & Living Her Best Life

Mountain biker and serious adventurer Elissa Cummings is rad: She raced seriously as a kid in Ontario, but in 2014, a concussion stopped her in her tracks. Rather than hang the bike up and walk away, she recovered slowly and steadily, and now she’s back on the bike and ready for more adventures—moving from Ontario to Whistler in BC to start! (Ahem, there’s a  hint about Shred Girls Book #2 here!). What we love about her is her optimism and poise working through something as challenging as a concussion… And not quitting, but also not going too hard, too fast. She took the time needed to recover, and it’s going to be amazing seeing where she goes… Trust me, we’ll be checking in with her again!

Just a quick note: Seriously, READ her story below about how she dealt with having a concussion affect her life. It’s a scary thing. And for all of your #ShredGirls out there, pay attention to warning signs of a concussion—don’t mess around with hits to the head!

What got you into MTB?

Biking has always been my escape. If I had my bike I could go anywhere I wanted, pure freedom. As a kid I would get home from school jump on my bike and go play in the dirt often times until we were so dirty that we weren’t allowed in the house without being hosed off. It was always an adventure, exploring something we had never seen before. When I got into high school there was a cross country mountain biking team that I was stoked to join. I eventually started racing Ontario cups thanks to race promoter Sean Ruppel’s support and encouragement.

Did you try any other riding, road/CX/BMX/etc.?

I haven’t competed in anything other than cross country races, a couple 8 hour races and I did a fat bike race once. As I slowly move further away from the east and into the west coast I find myself wanting bikes with more travel for the gnarly terrain. I think there are disciplines in cycling that are a lot cooler than riding in circles in spandex. My friends in whistler are already encouraging me to buy a downhill bike. I’m loving the jumps in Whistler bike park. Touring is something I’m super keen on. We will see where it goes.

What made you love MTB?

I just loved being outside, exploring new places and going fast. My love for the sport has definitely matured over the years. I find myself smiling just at the smell of fresh tires, seeing grease on my hands, dirt on my skin, hearing my hub spin brakes squeak. It’s all pretty incredible.

Was there anything you hated about it? (And if so, how did you get over it?)

There’s nothing worse than injury’s and Bike mechanicals. I think those are the only down sides. Having to pay for new parts to fix your bike or take time off to heal a wound.

You had some concussion issues—how did you get past that?

In 2014 I fell off my bike and hit my head one too many times. I was basically on bed rest for almost 4 months I barely left the house. After that I only returned to school part time. I couldn’t exercise for almost two years because it caused my symptoms to be much worse. I had to take an extra year of high school. I lost my identity as an athlete. I grew up playing hockey five nights a week and playing on every elementary school team I could.

Sports was really all I had ever known. I saw chiropractors, neurologists, several specialists and attended the brain injury clinic at Saint Michaels hospital. I was probably given the “return to play” handbook over twenty times. I was prescribed drugs but I couldn’t find a doctor who seemed to have any true solution. It just felt like I was waiting for my life to start again. It was a very dark place for me—there were definitely moments when I was suicidal. I was consistently in pain. I woke up with a headache almost every morning and went to bed with one every night. I was moody all the time, my legs tingled, my ears rang, my vision was blurry, socializing was tiring, lights hurt my eyes, I could never sleep but I was always exhausted. It was like living in a fog.

It took a lot of courage to wake up every day and keep moving forward through a tunnel I couldn’t see the end of.

First I was in denial. Then when I finally admitted what was going on and how severe it was I just wanted to figure out the quickest way to recover. Really all I could do was rest and slowly progress to doing more. I remember at one point feeling nausea from walking outside for ten minutes. It was a really slow progression with several set backs along the way. It was always two steps forward one step back.

Eventually I started to be able to live a normal life again, go to school, work, drive, walk. I slowly could do minor cardio. Then it was having the guts to get back on my bike. I consistently had to maintain a lot of hope that I would get better. There was never a time frame given to heal it was just wait and see. It was in a constant mental battle with myself.

There were for sure times when I gave up and said “maybe the doctors were right maybe I’ll never bike again maybe I’ll have to take up knitting or painting instead”. Concussions are really serious issue they should never be taken lightly. I will always have the fear of hitting my head again possibly going into a coma and not waking up. Not being able to remember my own name by the time I’m 50 due to CTE. It might seem harsh but that’s the reality of it.

I still deal with symptoms now. I’m not sure if my head and memory will ever really be the same again. I guess the answer is I haven’t truly got past it. I have hope that one day that struggle will just be a distant memory. However, I think it will always be a part of who I am. It took a lot of courage to wake up every day and keep moving forward through a tunnel I couldn’t see the end of. I will always be a stronger person because of it and cherish good health so much more.

Why go to Whistler?

When I lived in Jasper AB last year I fell in love with the mountains. Whistler has to be the mountain bike Mecca of the world. The first time I came here was three years ago I wanted to move here then but I was injured. The trail systems here are so abundant. I’ve heard a rumour that one season in whistler will improve your riding more than three seasons anywhere else. Also of course my job as a mountain biking tour guide is a pretty incredible opportunity. There’s always people here who are keen to shred as truely stoked as I am to be riding bikes. The mountain biking culture is huge, the community is welcoming, and the lifestyle is unbelievable.

I think it’s important to remember to not take advice from people you don’t want to be anything like.

Best piece of advice you ever got?

I’ve gotten a lot of good advice and a lot of bad advice. I think it’s important to remember to not take advice from people you don’t want to be anything like. The best advise I ever got was when a wise man told me “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you deal with it”. That really helps me get through the hardest moments in life.

Proudest moment riding?

I’m not really sure, maybe I’ll be proud if I make it to Mexico riding the Tour Divide.

Where do you see your riding going, i.e do you want to race professionally, or just have fun?

I am an incredibly competitive individual. Being paid to ride my bike, provided with the best equipment, and racing all over the world would definitely be a luxury. It also takes a lot of dedication and hard work to make it to that level. I think I enjoy midnight dancing too much to ever be a professional rider. At this point I am just trying to improve my riding and have fun with it. Prepare for my big ride in September. I’m really enjoying what I do now. My job and lifestyle is super fulfilling. I get to wake up everyday, hit the trails and get paid to share my passion for cycling with others. We will see how this summer goes and you never know maybe in March you’ll see me back racing again.

Have you made friends through MTB?

Yes of course. I have friends I used to ride with back in Ontario and in Alberta too. I have made a lot of new friends to ride with in Whistler in the last week here. However I think my closest friends are those who were there for me through the hard times. When I couldn’t ride my bike. The people who cheer me up on my worst days. The people who are there for me no matter what who I can call at anytime. Those are the friends I truly cherish.

Any tips for shy girls who want to ride but don’t know anyone else who rides?

Go alone, smile and say hi to everyone you meet. Exchange contacts. Go to group rides, races, clinics and events. You’ll find your people there are tons of incredible people out riding bikes and the female riding population is growing exponentially.

Best tip for tackling something on the trail that seems scary?

It’s all in your mind. Safety is key. Always start small and work your way up to the bigger things. As you progress as a rider you will get to know your own limits and capabilities. I promise you do have limits don’t listen to Michael Jordan. There’s good fear and bad fear. If you have an adrenalin rush and you’re excited to try something new but a bit nervous that’s good. If you are scared you’ll fall and get injured that fear should always be acknowledged because it is there for a reason.

 

 

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