Jam Fund in the time of Coronavirus
Above: Anna Savage racing at the Verge Northampton International Cyclocross on Nov. 10, 2019. Photo by Angela Dixon.
Running the sand
Anna Savage,19, has hardly missed a cyclocross race on the local calendar since she started racing ten years ago.
She competed both for her collegiate team at Lees-McCrae and for JAM Fund at Cyclocross National Championships in Tacoma, Washington in December 2019. She finished 9th among the U23 riders.
Photo by Mike Albright.
Anna Savage is one of our U23 riders and all-around team morale booster.
During this past spring as the coronavirus was spreading through the United States and businesses were closing and college students were in flux on what to do, Anna Savage was a student at Lees-McRae in North Carolina, studying biomechanics and exercise science while racing for the varsity cycling team. She decided to move back closer to home and transfer to UMass Amherst.
“I loved living in North Carolina and being around all my friends,” she said. “But I felt that I need more of a challenge academically. Being at UMass also gives me the opportunity to be closer to the team and my family.”
During the summer, Savage started working at Gorham Bike and Ski shop in Kennebunk, Maine.
“Working at the shop I have learned a lot about maintaining bikes,” she said. “I have learned about taking care of equipment when I'm on my own. Working at the shop has been a good way to stay involved with the cycling community.”
Wrenching for the win
Savage has become more comfortable fixing bikes since she started her new job at a bike shop. She’s also juggling a full load of classes and training, proving her focus, determination and work ethic.
When Covid-19 put a stop to most sports events, Savage decided to take a year off from racing and focus on training and other parts of her life.
“The goal is to boost my aerobic foundation,” she said. “It is the first time since I was a kid that I won’t spend my entire fall racing. The time off is also giving me time to develop in other areas. I have been balancing all the different things going on in my life. For the summer I was just working full time while living on my own and training. However, with the start of school I’m learning how to better stay on top of everything I have going on. I am working full time while doing school full time. I am also still living on my own and training. This time off is also giving me time to work on different skills with my cross bike. I also get the chance to work on different disciplines.
While racing for the varsity cycling team at Lees-McCrae, Anna Savage showed off her mad skills in the rock gardens in the downhill mountain bike event on Sept. 23, 2019. Here she finished 2nd place. Photo by Emily Tay.