From Behind the Corn 02: Laci Reinke
Photo Credit: Michael McColgan
What is your most memorable Gravel Worlds moment?
In 2021, someone booked our Airbnb with the note, "Coming in for the Gravel Worlds race". I had no idea what that was. I'd torn the meniscus in my left knee and couldn't run or bike that year, but kept it in mind. In 2022, with the "1000 Women of Gravel Worlds" push, I signed up for the 50k ride, then bought a gravel bike. 🙂 I couldn't run the 50k run, but I could volunteer, so I helped at an aid station on the last leg of the run. Patrick Lorenze was at the aid station with me, and he patiently answered my many questions about gravel riding as I had no clue what I was in for the next day. Michael McColgen also stopped by to get pics of the runners and helped put me at ease.
My most memorable experiences of Gravel Worlds are probably seeing the people who would stop and help a rider who was having trouble on the side of the road and the friendliness of the other riders. I may have been riding solo, but I was never alone.
Having helped with several running races, I also knew what it took to put on such a large event, so I started volunteering more. Aid stations, start/finish chute set up, packet pick up - getting to talk to and meet other gravel enthusiasts really brought home the meaning of "gravel family". I have a lot of gratitude for the "be cool" mantra of Gravel Worlds.
Would you like to shout out any people who made that day special to you?
In order of how I met them, I'd give shouts out to Patrick Lorenze, @mccolganphoto, @jasonstrohbehn, @sofiasedona, and Jamie Granquist, who all played a part in making my very first day of volunteering at Gravel Worlds awesome.
What would you like to tell someone if they were debating on signing up for an event like Gravel Worlds?
If someone were on the fence about signing up for something like Gravel Worlds, I'd advise them to sign up for the shortest distance and just try it out. The people who ride gravel are generally pretty cool, and there's a high probability you won't die trying it the first time. It might be hard, and it might be humbling, but you will definitely learn something about yourself and you might just get hooked. 🙂
Photo Credit: Michael McColgan