MKP USA Supports Leadville 100 MTB Racer Jay Hodgson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2013

Following  the ManKind Project USA’s second year at RAGBRAI, with nearly 50 ManKind Project USA riders making the ride across Iowa, one ManKind Project Member is competing in the Leadville Trail 100 MTB mountain bike race. The race begins and ends in Leadville, CO at an altitude of 10,000 feet, and reaches altitudes over 12,000 feet crossing the Columbine Pass. Leadville is a major touchstone for many amateur and professional cyclists, and demands months of serious training and preparation

Jay Hodgson, of Ithaca NY, has been a cycling enthusiast since his first BMX race at the age of 11 in upstate New York. Over the years he’s been a commuter and recreational rider, never too far from the pedals whether in Boston, Brooklyn, or in the Finger Lakes region of upstate NY. He joined a regular group of amateur mountain bike and road cyclists in a strong cycling community around Ithaca NY, where he now lives with his wife of 16 years, Lynn Craver, and their 9 year old daughter Blythe.

In 2012 Jay competed in the Whiteface Wilmington 100K, and was selected in the lottery to compete in the Leadville 100.

Long before Leadville, in 1996, as a young man facing tough questions about what to do next in his life, and at a crossroads in his relationship, Jay was the first Hodgson to attend the ManKind Project’s New Warrior Training Adventure (NWTA). When his family saw the effect it had on his outlook, communication, and relationships, other Hodgson men soon followed. Now 17 years later, most other men in the family have participated in the NWTA; including 5 brothers, Father and Step-Father, and several cousins. A number of women in the family have also participated in the Woman Within or Women in Power programs, starting with Jay’s mother Julie, and Jay’s wife Lynn.

When Jay learned he had been picked in the lottery for Leadville, his family, and the ManKind Project USA, pledged support. Ken Hodgson, Jay’s father, was his first sponsor, committing to make sure he had what he needed to get to Colorado. Boysen & Kendra Hodgson, Jay’s brother and sister in law, committed to be there as support crew. Youngest brother John and cousin Braden opened their homes in Denver for the travelers. Boysen, who is the Communications Director for MKP USA, also made sure that Jay would have a ManKind Project USA jersey.

“I recognize how much this growth work [in the ManKind Project] has changed my life, and I’ve seen how my brothers and my family have been able to connect and create the kind of lives and relationships they want,” says Jay. “I think we’ve got tools and ways of communicating that a lot of families just don’t have. We’re all really different people, we certainly don’t agree on everything, but we share a common experience that makes our connection really special.”

The weekend before Leadville, most of the extended family, from as far away as California and Liberia (west Africa), gathered to celebrate the wedding of brother Noah Hodgson and his partner Sara in Rochester NY. Everyone had the chance to wish Jay luck on the day before he left for Twin Lakes Colorado to begin training at altitude. Between Boysen’s recent return from a 450 mile ride in Iowa with the MKP USA RAGBRAI team, and Jay’s committed training, many family members have started thinking about their own pedal power. Older brother Weston posted on Facebook “Got the old Gary Fisher out … 20 miles in the last two days.”

The ManKind Project USA wishes Jay the best on his trek through the mountains, and is proud to see the MKP USA name at another internationally known cycling event.

Mike Elser, the ManKind Project USA Chairman had a message for Jay, “I love seeing what happens when men learn to show up for each other in authentic and heart-connected ways. The Hodgsons and their extended family … could we call it a tribe? … are certainly an incredible example of this. Good luck to you Jay, and thank you for modeling commitment to pushing beyond what you thought was possible.”

To learn more about the ManKind Project and the possibilities for your family, visit mankindproject.org.

 

P.S. Hey Lance Armstrong! @lancearmstrong. Here is another opportunity to connect with the ManKind Project. I heard a rumor that you might be in CO for the Leadville MTB. Happy to make a connection – did you see our last post?  Send me (Boysen) a text: 413-883-2462.

Three reasons that Lance Armstrong should come Check In! with the ManKind Project at #mkpRAGBRAI.