About Ami:

I was diagnosed as a teen with asthma, and in the 70’s the advice was "don’t exercise." I also have a rare birth defect that affected my right side. I am deaf in one ear, problems with the bones in my neck, back, and the joints on my right. While I look absolutely normal, there’s rarely a day where something (neck, shoulder, back, hip) on my right side doesn’t give me pain. So obviously, I didn’t exercise for a lot of years..all the way to 30, when I was having asthma attacks going down a hallway and decided ‘enough.’ I hired a trainer who got me past my fears of exercise and the rest is history. I finished a marathon in 2004, but hip pain stopped my running completely. After a year of recovery time with no exercise, I found the bike.

^{While I have a bachelor’s degree in Film Production and 10 years in the ‘biz’ (Los Angeles) I decided to switch careers and am now getting a doctorate in Physical Therapy at Creighton University in Omaha. I’ll graduate in May 2008; I am definitely the oldest one in my class and my film degree was not at all helpful—it’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Like most truly challenging things in life, I’m glad I did it.}

^{I have yet to race at all, in any sport. I think it’d be fun, but we’ll see what sort results I can get from really focusing in my training for next season. I admit to a competitive streak, but I don’t have any natural talent, so if I get fast enough to compete, it will be from hard work and answered prayers. Until then, there’s MS150s, local century rides, and lots of opportunities to race against myself—testing my limits and challenging my own PRs. Can’t give up trying & can’t lose heart when the body isn’t always willing to go along – I believe firmly that I can’t ask my patients to give their best if I don’t.}

Why Ami Rides: 

I love to hop on my bike, and I love to see women who I can encourage to be fit and use the gifts God gave them, no matter where that gift puts them in the peloton! I am a physical therapy student (my 2^{nd career, I graduate May 08); I see daily the impact of inactivity, fearfulness of exercise, and those bad habits (like smoking, stress, etc) can have on a person. I have some disabilities that make being a competitive athlete nearly impossible, but you can’t live your life only doing what you’re best at – it’s too easy; do that stuff, but also do the hard stuff: it’s worth it. For me, I need to be a good role model to my patients, my family, my community. Maybe I will never win a race, maybe I’ll make mistakes and get lazy sometimes, but I will pick myself up and get across the finish sooner or later.}