Moniera Khan was 54 years old when she finished dead last in her first mountain bike race. But race results have little to do with her love for riding.

Instead, it’s a celebration of what bikes have brought into her life, what her body can do, and her ability to define success on her terms. Whether she’s training through the winter just to cross the finish line or stopping in the forest to look at adorable fungi, she will tell you that she’s an athlete.

“I do athletic things,” she says. “My story is more about delighting in being OK with where I am than a grudging self-acceptance of it.”

Moniera first dipped her toes into biking in her early 40s by participating in the 2010 RBC Gran Fondo, a 122-kilometer road race from Vancouver to Whistler along the Sea to Sky highway. However, she soon realized the road biking experience wasn’t for her; it felt more like work than fun.

Immigrating from South Africa to Canada in 1989, Moniera settled in North Vancouver, British Columbia, where she saw mountain bikers who appeared happy, as though they were enjoying their time on two wheels. This was her first spark of interest in the world of mountain biking.

Only a few months after that first road race, her inaugural mountain bike adventure took her on a blue trail through the challenging terrain of the North Shore. It wasn’t an easy ride—she struggled, threw her bike, and even shed a few tears. Seeking mentorship and guidance, she joined the Muddbunnies.

Becoming a part of a supportive women’s riding club turned the tables for Moniera. Despite often being the oldest and the only person of color, she found a welcoming community full of encouragement. The Muddbunnies celebrated every little achievement, hooting and hollering in the forest for each other. When facing challenging sections of trail, there wasn’t room for defeatist thinking. It was never that they couldn’t do it; it was that they couldn’t do it yet.