She Sends Foundation Enters New Era with Courtney and Hauswald

April 21, 2025

Professional MTB racer Kate Courtney teams up with longtime youth cycling leader Vanessa Hauswald to grow the nonprofit supporting women and girls in cycling.

SAN RAFAEL, California (April 21, 2025) /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ – Kate Courtney, 2018 cross-country mountain bike world champion and one of the sport’s most recognizable athletes, is entering a new chapter in 2025 — both on and off the bike. Racing as a privateer for the first time in her professional career, Courtney is bringing new life to the She Sends Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and empowering women and girls in cycling.

To lead the foundation, Courtney turned to someone who helped shape her own path into the sport: Vanessa Hauswald, former executive director of the NorCal Interscholastic Cycling League and a decades-long champion for youth riders.

“Vanessa was always the dream candidate for this role,” Courtney said. “She not only understands how to run a successful nonprofit, but she’s also built programs like GRiT that align perfectly with our mission of getting more girls on bikes.”

For 15 years, Hauswald was a fixture at NorCal races, known for her boundless energy and deep belief in the power of sport. Among the riders she inspired? A teenage Courtney, then the only girl on her high school team.

“She made me feel like I belonged,” Courtney said. “Her infectious enthusiasm and the way she saw every rider — it made a huge difference.”

Now, their relationship has come full circle. With Courtney’s platform as an elite athlete and Hauswald’s expertise in nonprofit leadership and youth development, the She Sends Foundation aims to become a hub for progress in women’s cycling

The foundation will provide grants to individual athletes, grassroots initiatives, and community groups. The goal? To increase access, support growth, and build a strong network of riders and mentors who can help more women thrive in the sport.

“I’ve spent my career trying to change the fact that American girls are 50% more likely to drop out of sports than boys,” Hauswald said. “We have work to do to recruit and retain girls in sport. We are far from parity in cycling, and we’re excited to be a small hinge that helps to swing a big door here.”

Together, Courtney and Hauswald hope to not only close the gender gap in cycling but redefine what’s possible for women in the sport.

“Vanessa believes in this mission — it’s what she’s dedicated her career to,” Courtney said. “I couldn’t be more excited to share in this next chapter of her journey.”

Media Contact:

Vanessa Hauswald
vanessa@shesends.it
707-548-8077
https://shesendsfoundation.org