Real Life Shred Girl Emma Fastiggi Knows All About Having GRiT

Emma Fastiggi, a 14-year-old Keystone Team rider in NICA has been riding since she was 12! We chatted at Pennsylvania’s NICA GRiT camp a few months ago and her advice was awesome. Keep reading to get inspired!

How long have you been riding?

I’ve been riding since I was 12. My mom works with our head coach and when the coach said she was starting a mountain bike team, she asked my mom if I’d be interested. I needed something to do, so I said I’d try it. I thought it would be fun and I was right. It was a lot of work though, considering I hadn’t done it before.

Had you done other sports?

I’d done summer camps, but they were all short term, so just three weeks or so of doing sports there. But nothing like mountain biking!

How was the first season?

It was great, but there was a lot to get used to! I had to figure out how to ride obstacles—I was used to riding on gravel and road, so suddenly being on trails with obstacles  was like, ‘whoa, what’s that? Never seen that before!’

What’s your best tip for tackling new obstacles?

It’s okay to be nervous, but it will get better the more you practice. It definitely took me awhile to get okay with obstacles my first year. I’d done a couple of races and we were working on obstacles and I fell and thought, ‘I’m never doing this again!’ but I did and now I can do them without any problems.

How did you come back after that fall?

I sat down for a bit and watched everyone else working on them, but took a break. I gradually worked back up to it over time—it took me a couple years to get good at obstacles though. It was a little bit mental too, I was so nervous about falling! But now, I tell myself it’s just a log, it’s not as big a deal as I thought it was.

Best part of mountain biking?

Definitely the friends that I’ve made. And the fun things I’ve gotten to learn! I’ve learned to take things at their own pace. You have to ride the pace that’s right for you, and that will make it more fun, if you’re not always stressed about keeping up with everyone. Control what you’re doing.

Least favorite part?

Some of the more difficult stuff like uphills. But they’re always worth it in the end!

Any tips for pre-race jitters?

I’m still not good at this! But the start line is a lot scarier than it really is. It’s just like practice, you’re just riding through the trails.

Best advice for making friends?

Just see if people have stuff in common with you. If you see someone drawing and you like to draw, say hi. Ask them about it. Just go up and introduce yourself.

Proudest moment so far?

Definitely finishing one of the first races, feeling like, ‘I did it.’ Especially that first race because the day before, I had fallen on the trail in practice, so to do the race and no fall and not be scared was awesome.

Best GRiT camp moment?

It’s all been fun!

Goals in the upcoming season?

I’m hoping to work on my endurance and moderating my pace. And finding more time to practice and train! This summer has been really busy but I want to make more time for biking, even if it’s just a short ride around the block.