Kate Nowak: Built by Bravery

Meet Kate Nowak! 👋

Kate is a multi-sport athlete from Hastings High School (MN), competing in competitive mountain biking, alpine skiing, cross country, and track. She races through the Minnesota Cycling Association, where she’s proud to be part of a community that champions girls in sport, especially through GRIT (Girls Riding Together), a team dedicated to getting more girls on bikes.

For Kate, support in sports starts with encouragement—from female coaches and older teammates who built a culture of confidence, inspiration, and belonging. She believes true equity in sport means removing barriers, providing the right tools and gear, and ensuring every girl feels welcomed, supported, and empowered to pursue the sports she loves.

Kate's Story 

From practice to race day, the first people I look for are my coaches. When I was 11 years old at my first mountain bike practice, the first person to ease my nerves was my coach, Kari. Surrounded by guys who had been biking for years, she gave me the encouragement I needed to always push myself to try scary jumps, more difficult trails, and new skills I didn't know I had. Watching her push herself as a biker and be so passionate about women in sports taught me not only how to grow as a biker but also as a role model to the new eleven-year-old girls on our team.

Mountain biking, as well as my other sports have helped me learn that I should never stop pushing into a higher gear even if I hit a few rocks or trees along the way. Through sports, I’ve found a lifelong love for the outdoors and the community of people who help me grow.  Ever since I joined mountain biking back in 6th grade, I have learned to be confident in my actions, something only sports have taught me.

I just finished my sixth year on the team, and getting the privilege to look back and see how much I've grown is the most rewarding feeling in the world. Starting as the scared girl with purple hair who was practically dragged onto the team by my parents, to becoming a strong woman with a love for racing and teaching younger kids on the team to never stop pushing themselves further. Mountain biking can be such an intimidating sport, but that’s what I love most about it.

The community of girls who prevail, all teaching each other the confidence and skills they’ve learned from the sport, is nothing short of inspirational. I am in awe of my teammates and competitors alike for the grit they have displayed to get them to the finish line and sometimes even to the first practice.

High-impact sports such as Mountain biking require endless resilience, however they shouldn't require strength to just sign up and feel welcome. My favorite thing about mountain biking is the girls. I love and admire their strength, but they should never have to push through feeling insecure, uncomfortable, or objectified in the sports gear available. 

One of the other role models who shaped me into the racer I am is my coach, Lee. She picked up biking a couple of years after I joined the team, yet she never fails to give me the courage to always keep pedaling. She showed me that you can always grow and try new things, no matter what age. As a teenager, seeing a strong woman not letting societal ideals constrain her has given me the power to reach every peak.

Thanks to Lee, when I am searching for professions and colleges that interest me, she has given me the grit to dream big and reach far. She has impacted my lifeby helping me understand more about myself and how I want to continue to live my life.

My favorite thing about all of my sports is that they're lifelong, but so are all the lessons I’ve learned from them. I started alpine skiing when I was two and still race to this day.  My coaches, Adam and Jason, have taught me the importance of my mindset at races. They taught me how it feels to compete aggressively, to my full ability.

My coaches have gotten in the habit of always asking me what I need to work on instead of telling me. Their trust and guidance lead me to solutions that are framed in my own mindset. That coaching style taught me how to find courage within myself that not only applies to racing but also to my entire life. Skiing, as well as all of my coaches, has given me the ability to analyze my weaknesses and find problem-solving methods to fix them.

From looking up to coaches, to upperclassmen, to now being the person teammates look up to, I've grown to love the scary option over the easy option. I will continue to be shaped by the experiences and encouragement I’ve gotten through my sports career.

If I could tell 11-year-old Kate one thing, it would be that bravery means to do the things that scare you.