The WiMTB Mentoring Program is designed to bridge the gap between underrepresentation and the highly skilled women+ in the industry.
WiMTB Mentoring Program has chosen six highly experienced mentors to help upskill their understudies in the arts of trail building and advocacy, as well as guiding and coaching.
Applications to become a mentee are now open here and will close on May 17th 2026.
The Women in Mountain Biking Network (WiMTB), an initiative of IMBA Europe, is proud to announce the launch of the Women in Mountain Biking Mentoring Program – a community-driven initiative designed to support, empower, and retain women+ working and volunteering across the mountain biking sector, with initial focus on trail building and advocacy, guiding and coaching.
This program is a direct response to the needs expressed by women+ within the community. During the WiMTB Network’s launch at the IMBA Europe Summit in June 2024, participants were asked what they most wanted to see from the network. A mentoring program quickly emerged as a top priority. The message was clear: women+ in mountain biking want connection, guidance, and a visible pathway to shape their futures in the activity they love.
“We’re really excited to launch the WiMTB mentoring program, to open up opportunities for more women+ to develop and progress through their chosen pathway in mountain biking – bringing valuable perspectives to the sector – with support from experienced mentors who’ve been there before. There are already so many incredible women+ doing inspiring work across the industry, and this program is about connecting with that knowledge, learning from it, and helping the next generation build on those achievements.”
– Manon Carpenter (WiMTB Network coordinator, board member IMBA Europe, former DH World Champion)
Why Mentoring, and Why Now?
Women+ remain underrepresented across the mountain bike ecosystem – from trail associations and trail crews, to guiding, advocacy, tourism, academia, industry, media, and leadership roles. Many find themselves as “the only one” in their organisation or team, which can make otherwise enjoyable work feel more challenging or isolating at times, with limited access to women+ colleagues, mentors, or support networks. Despite progress, this lack of visibility and connection continues to impact confidence, career development, and long-term retention.
At the same time, there is a growing community of highly skilled and experienced women+ already contributing across all areas of mountain biking. The WiMTB Mentoring Program is designed to bridge that gap, making these role models more visible and accessible and ensuring their knowledge and experience can support others entering or progressing within the sector.
The WiMTB Mentoring program has been designed to directly address these challenges. Inspired by the successful efforts of the Uplift Women’s Industry Program, WiMTB will match mentees with experienced mentors who can provide:
- One-on-one guidance
- Professional insights
- Career and leadership support
- Confidence-building and skills development
By creating structured opportunities for knowledge sharing, guidance, and connection, this program aims to strengthen women+’s contributions, resilience, and visibility across mountain biking.
Program Focus Areas for Year One
The program launches with two dedicated mentorship tracks, reflecting areas of particular need and opportunity within the sector in Europe:
- Trail Building & Advocacy:
- supporting women+ pursuing or developing careers in trail design, construction, crew leadership, and advocacy.
- Guiding & Coaching:
- connecting women+ in guiding and coaching roles with experienced mentors to build skills, confidence, and professional networks.
Additional tracks will be developed over time based on community needs and feedback.
Our 2026 Mentors
For this first edition of the WiMTB mentoring program, our mentors are coming from different countries across Europe, with a range of expertise and languages available for mentoring.
Trail building and advocacy
Alison Campbell – Owner of Campbell Coaching and Trail Logic. Wales, UK. Language: English.
Cathy Naveaux – BikeSolutions and independent. France. Languages: French, English.
Sonja Schreiter – Advocacy & Infrastructure Officer at DIMB, the German Initiative for Mountain Biking. Germany. Language: German preferred (also English).
Guiding and coaching
Aisling Cullen – Coach at TrailBikeBody MTB Coaching. Ireland. Language: English.
Eveline Elsinga – Founder & Impact Lead, Dutch Girls On Wheels. Netherlands. Languages: Dutch, English.
Katherine Goodey – Founder of RideHigh MTB. Wales, UK. Language: English.
How to Apply?
To apply as a mentee, please use this link by Sunday, 17th May.
If you know somebody who you think would be a great mentee for this program, make sure they know about it! We are looking forward to connecting with up-and-coming change makers in the mountain bike world.
To ask any questions or for more information, reach out to Loren (Link to Mail below)
Get involved
We invite trail associations, clubs, trail crews, industry partners, brands, media, community groups, and influencers to support this program and share it with potential mentees – and help us build a stronger, more inclusive mountain biking future.
Connect. Support. Advance women+ in mountain biking.
