Leadership

“Every moment is a fresh beginning.”- T. S. ELIOT

Who is Leigh Donovan?

Leigh is a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom, a friend, a bike racer, an entrepreneur, a coach, a business owner, a passionate bike enthusiast, and possibly a few other things, but we will stop there. With her love of dancing and singing and a voice that can carry through a football stadium, Leigh has been known to be the life of the party with a memorable laugh, known to make someone’s day or totally annoy them :-).

Brownie Ad for Rocket Parts

At age 11, Leigh fell in love with the bike. Back then it was a BMX bike, today it is a mountain bike. As a youth, in addition to being a BMX national champion, she was a competitive runner, roller-skater and softball player.

During middle school she was voted “class clown” which bothered her, as she felt she was more of the “best athlete,” yet school sports were not her forte and she never did win the “best athlete” award. After years of focusing on being better than the award, she figured it out and began to focus on her results, not the awards.

By age 20, she found mountain biking and felt like she was “home”. Winning many races, championships and traveling around the world for almost a decade was such a huge “gift” as she called it. The racing turned into a successful career (with lots of awards) helping Leigh launch ichoosebikes; a place where riders can find their best on the bike and possibly in their own lives.

After her racing career, Leigh proved she could be successful off the bike too, opening a retail ‘Contemporary fashion’ clothing boutique (her other passion is shopping and fashion) with friend Jennifer Gabrielli; naming it Tangerine. The store was a space where Leigh feels she grew up…or as she would put it, “The first day we opened the store I was calling each customer DUDE and I quickly realized I may have to grow my vocabulary a little, it was humbling to say the least.” Tangerine was a place where both women and men were welcomed and they came for great conversation, fabulous clothes and some of the best customer service you’ll ever find. When the store closed in 2011, Leigh knew she wanted to come back to the bike industry and do something but she wasn’t sure exactly what that looked like. Today, ichoosebikes is an educational approach to helping riders from all walks of life become more confident and safe out on the trails. Leigh works with riders from beginner to advanced all over the United States and Canada and applauds the industry for making Mountain Bike education matter.  

On the journey of life Leigh often tells those she loves, “Don’t compare your life to what others are doing, do what you love and then, you’ll always be exactly where you are meant to be.” 

photoenjoy the ride!

Career Leadership Achievements 

  • 2020 – Inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame
  • 2014 – Inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
  • 2014-Launched ichoosebikes with a goal to get more women riding bikes.
  • 2013 – Inducted into the USABMX Hall of Fame
  • 2010-2020: Women’s Event organizer for Ray’s MTB bike park
  • 2004-2021: Camp Del Corazon sponsor and volunteer for the DAVI golf tournament
  • 1997-2002: NORBA (USA Cycling) Board member “Athlete Representative”
  • Nominated in 2001 for Richard Long Sportsmanship award
  • 1996 Grand Marshall “Tour de Cure”, Charity ride in L.A. for Diabetes
  • 1996 Grand Marshall of “American Heart Association” Ride in L.A. to benefit Heart disease studies
  • 1995 Nominated as “Female Cyclist of The Year” for Korbel Night of Champions