March 7th, 2026 | by Caitlin Boyarsky
As a team made up mostly of women, supporting other women isn’t just something we do, it’s part of who we are! Empowering women in sport matters deeply to us at Bivo, especially in the outdoor industry where men have traditionally dominated many spaces. Creating room for more voices, more stories, and more representation is something we’re proud to stand behind! To celebrate International Women’s Day this year, we partnered with artist Sarah Beairsto to create a limited-edition “Send it, Sister” bottle design! Sarah is the founder of Send It Cards, a greeting card company for those who sweat. This design is inspired by our shared love of sport... and the occasional croissant ;)
We’re also proud to donate the profits from this bottle to support the Girls Forward Foundation, helping create more opportunities for girls to grow, lead, and thrive through sport.
To mark the occasion, we spoke with several women and girls about their experiences in their respective sports and what those experiences mean to them. From building confidence and resilience to finding community and joy, these sports have shaped who they are and we hope will inspire others to do the same.
⁃ Caitlin, Bivo Customer Service
As a team made up mostly of women, supporting other women isn’t just something we do, it’s part of who we are! Empowering women in sport matters deeply to us at Bivo, especially in the outdoor industry where men have traditionally dominated many spaces. Creating room for more voices, more stories, and more representation is something we’re proud to stand behind! To celebrate International Women’s Day this year, we partnered with artist Sarah Beairsto to create a limited-edition “Send it, Sister” bottle design! Sarah is the founder of Send It Cards, a greeting card company for those who sweat. This design is inspired by our shared love of sport... and the occasional croissant ;)
We’re also proud to donate the profits from this bottle to support the Girls Forward Foundation, helping create more opportunities for girls to grow, lead, and thrive through sport.
To mark the occasion, we spoke with several women and girls about their experiences in their respective sports and what those experiences mean to them. From building confidence and resilience to finding community and joy, these sports have shaped who they are and we hope will inspire others to do the same.
⁃ Caitlin, Bivo Customer Service
The design comes on our vibrant Trio 21oz color, Strawberry, how cute! Check out the bottle here :)
The design comes on our vibrant Trio 21oz color, Strawberry, how cute! Check out the bottle here :)
Cycling has always been an escape for me, but today it’s more than that, it’s a chance to show the best version of myself, to myself.
Riding is a reminder that being fitter, faster, stronger, and more organized doesn’t happen by accident. It takes bringing a thousand small things together, day after day. Through that process, I can push back against the weakness and damage the world would hand you if you let it.
Cycling, sport, really, or whatever you do to make yourself stronger, is a form of resistance. Resistance to forces that would rather you be diminished, invisible, or something other than who you are. Sport is aspiration in its purest form.
There will always be someone faster, stronger, or more talented. That’s inevitable. But every time you show up, you’ve already beaten the version of yourself that didn’t. And everyone who never even tried.
Cycling has always been an escape for me, but today it’s more than that, it’s a chance to show the best version of myself, to myself.
Riding is a reminder that being fitter, faster, stronger, and more organized doesn’t happen by accident. It takes bringing a thousand small things together, day after day. Through that process, I can push back against the weakness and damage the world would hand you if you let it.
Cycling, sport, really, or whatever you do to make yourself stronger, is a form of resistance. Resistance to forces that would rather you be diminished, invisible, or something other than who you are. Sport is aspiration in its purest form.
There will always be someone faster, stronger, or more talented. That’s inevitable. But every time you show up, you’ve already beaten the version of yourself that didn’t. And everyone who never even tried.
Sport gives me a feeling of well-being and freedom that I can’t find anywhere else. It makes me feel strong, powerful, and truly alive. There are moments when I feel weak or unsure, but even when I’m scared, I never feel alone because my coach and my friends are there. We push each other to grow.
Every time I overcome my fears, I feel powerful and capable of achieving anything I set my mind to. Being a girl in sport means showing that we belong in the lineup too. Courage and determination don’t depend on gender.
Even when it’s cold, rainy, or the conditions are far from ideal, that’s when I prefer to train. It’s in those difficult moments that my flaws are revealed, and I have the opportunity to truly improve.
Sport gives me a feeling of well-being and freedom that I can’t find anywhere else. It makes me feel strong, powerful, and truly alive. There are moments when I feel weak or unsure, but even when I’m scared, I never feel alone because my coach and my friends are there. We push each other to grow.
Every time I overcome my fears, I feel powerful and capable of achieving anything I set my mind to. Being a girl in sport means showing that we belong in the lineup too. Courage and determination don’t depend on gender.
Even when it’s cold, rainy, or the conditions are far from ideal, that’s when I prefer to train. It’s in those difficult moments that my flaws are revealed, and I have the opportunity to truly improve.
Being a woman in sport has been part of me since I was a little girl. It’s given me confidence, independence, and a real appreciation for what my body can do, not just how it looks. Running, especially, is where I feel most like myself: a clear head, a big heart and grounded in who I am. In the rhythm of putting one foot in front of the other, I find a quiet kind of peace and joy that feels like home.
Sport has taught me discipline, resilience, and how to push through hard things (on the road and in life). It’s brought me my strongest friendships and the happiest, truest version of me. Through running, I’ve found purpose, power, and strength that carries into everything I do.
Being a woman in sport has been part of me since I was a little girl. It’s given me confidence, independence, and a real appreciation for what my body can do, not just how it looks. Running, especially, is where I feel most like myself: a clear head, a big heart and grounded in who I am. In the rhythm of putting one foot in front of the other, I find a quiet kind of peace and joy that feels like home.
Sport has taught me discipline, resilience, and how to push through hard things (on the road and in life). It’s brought me my strongest friendships and the happiest, truest version of me. Through running, I’ve found purpose, power, and strength that carries into everything I do.
When I started mountain biking in 2001, there was unequal prize money for men and women in mountain bike races across the board. There were significantly less women on the mountain bike start lines than men. The only female athletes portrayed in the media were sexualized. I thought in order to get on the cover of a magazine, I would have to be half naked, and I wasn’t going to do that. There were no out LBTQIA+ cyclists and almost no gay, female athletes for me to look up to, to pave the way for me.
Fast forward 25 years, two decades of World Cup mountain bike racing career and two Olympics later. The most gritty photo of me covered in mud racing a World Cup landed on the cover of Mountain Flyer magazine. I was portrayed as a racer simply racing my bike. Nothing sexualized about it. This is huge progress.
Because of Little Bellas and organizations like it, there are way more girls and women on bikes. There is equal prize money for men and women in UCI mountain bike races. All are very important strides towards equality. Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the life changing and lifesaving power of sports, especially trans women.
When I started mountain biking in 2001, there was unequal prize money for men and women in mountain bike races across the board. There were significantly less women on the mountain bike start lines than men. The only female athletes portrayed in the media were sexualized. I thought in order to get on the cover of a magazine, I would have to be half naked, and I wasn’t going to do that. There were no out LBTQIA+ cyclists and almost no gay, female athletes for me to look up to, to pave the way for me.
Fast forward 25 years, two decades of World Cup mountain bike racing career and two Olympics later. The most gritty photo of me covered in mud racing a World Cup landed on the cover of Mountain Flyer magazine. I was portrayed as a racer simply racing my bike. Nothing sexualized about it. This is huge progress.
Because of Little Bellas and organizations like it, there are way more girls and women on bikes. There is equal prize money for men and women in UCI mountain bike races. All are very important strides towards equality. Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the life changing and lifesaving power of sports, especially trans women.
To me, being a woman in sport, and in particular as a mother in sport (and teacher!) the benefits are two-fold. One, I have the opportunity to take care of myself, which in turn makes me more effective in caring for others. Secondly, through training and competing (including fuelling), I am able to be a positive role model for my children and for my students, letting them see that the only limits we have are the ones we place on ourselves.
To me, being a woman in sport, and in particular as a mother in sport (and teacher!) the benefits are two-fold. One, I have the opportunity to take care of myself, which in turn makes me more effective in caring for others. Secondly, through training and competing (including fuelling), I am able to be a positive role model for my children and for my students, letting them see that the only limits we have are the ones we place on ourselves.
Being a woman in sport means so many different things all at once. First and foremost, it means empowerment and confidence. It is also about celebrating how far we’ve come in the fight for equity and a tremendous amount of frustration that I carry with it as well.
But maybe that tension of empowerment mixed with frustration is exactly what defines being a woman in sports right now. It’s pride in progress, confidence in our abilities, and determination to keep pushing for more visibility, more respect, and true equality.
Being a woman in sport means so many different things all at once. First and foremost, it means empowerment and confidence. It is also about celebrating how far we’ve come in the fight for equity and a tremendous amount of frustration that I carry with it as well.
But maybe that tension of empowerment mixed with frustration is exactly what defines being a woman in sports right now. It’s pride in progress, confidence in our abilities, and determination to keep pushing for more visibility, more respect, and true equality.
I was always active… a tomboy as a child in the 60s… competitive, especially when beating the boys! Through MANY sports (skiing, field hockey, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, flag football, softball)…. I finally found my career as a personal trainer in my 40s. That was over 30 years ago and I’m still working, helping clients find their passion. My passion became cycling when my knees, shoulders and back told me it was time to find another sport.
The reason I share all this… don’t ever stop evolving… don’t let fear hold you back from trying new things. If you would have told me 25yrs ago I would become a competitive cyclist, I would never have believed you.
I do race to win but at my age, I race to make myself proud. To be the best version of me.
I was always active… a tomboy as a child in the 60s… competitive, especially when beating the boys! Through MANY sports (skiing, field hockey, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, flag football, softball)…. I finally found my career as a personal trainer in my 40s. That was over 30 years ago and I’m still working, helping clients find their passion. My passion became cycling when my knees, shoulders and back told me it was time to find another sport.
The reason I share all this… don’t ever stop evolving… don’t let fear hold you back from trying new things. If you would have told me 25yrs ago I would become a competitive cyclist, I would never have believed you.
I do race to win but at my age, I race to make myself proud. To be the best version of me.
We like playing sports because of the athletic community who are always encouraging and supportive. We get to be active and have fun while connecting to new people and making new friends. We also learn new skills and tips from them, making us better athletes.
We like playing sports because of the athletic community who are always encouraging and supportive. We get to be active and have fun while connecting to new people and making new friends. We also learn new skills and tips from them, making us better athletes.
Melissa Smith
March 09, 2026
This is super inspiring! Go girls!