Happy New Year!
An emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment
produced, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time; not existing before
365 days (or 366 days in leap years) starting from the first of January, used for reckoning time in ordinary circumstances
We thrive and survive on connection, on creating community and on learning. Call this Happiness. We know that Happiness = Healthy. So we also wish you a Healthy New Year!
If we use the words to reflect on the 4F year of 2022, it has been about doing things that have made us, and hopefully you, HAPPY. About finding ways to be HEALTHY through pursuing an active lifestyle, trying and exploring NEW things, accepting challenges, setting goals, and 'peppering' our efforts throughout the YEAR.
There have been so many wonderful connections made through our events: the SeVen training weekend, TWO Twilight Criterium Series, Gravel skills, social rides on & off road, the Resilience and Pelvic Health seminars. There have also been great collaborations with the WA cycling community: supporting ATTA’s Birds in the Park, connecting with the Cycling Development Foundation Junior Cycling Academy, and being supported by the Perth metro clubs as we made our first foray into hosting racing events.
It has been a privilege to support and watch our members gather their courage and step into the competitive arena - chapeau to all who pinned on a number. 4F fielded two teams at the Tour of Margaret River in 2022, and it was rewarding to see the learning, the time and expertise freely given, and the Friendship and the Success in all its forms (read the race on this blog post - guaranteed to make you cry, either from joy or laughter). There have been many admirable personal achievements by our members across the year: Tracey Chapman has had an excellent season on the MTB, also sharing the State CX podium with another 4F’er Anjii Coleman; Kate Boulton has bloomed in road racing and with the support of her team took out the win in Women’s B at ToMR; and so many 4F’ers on the podium at Seven - Amy Currie, Tracey Chapman, Adelia Neethling, Vanessa Johnson, Ann Clifton, Anna Heitz & Deb Kempe! We’ve also been part of history-making, with members Amy Currie, Adelia Neethling, Adam Ralph, Vanessa Johnson and Deb Kempe representing Australia at the inaugural UCI World Gravel Championships in Italy, with Deb bringing home a rainbow jersey.
We will continue to offer events we think you'll love. We’ve had requests for seminars about sleep, recovery, and strength development, so watch the website and socials for more news on those. We are starting a new series of social rides from March - 4F First Fridays - more on that soon. We are very excited about our upcoming Tiger Tracks Gravel weekend near Nannup April 15-16, and we’ll share more details in coming weeks. We will continue to grow our Connections to other groups who share our DNA, for the benefit of our members, and to support and inspire women 45+ to to maintain an active and competitive life, providing benefits for physical and mental health.
We sincerely wish you a Happy New Year, and say Thank You: for liking & following us (on Facebook & Insta) , supporting us, joining us, sponsoring us, attending our events, volunteering, sharing your experiences and expertise and ideas, telling others, renewing your membership so we can do more, reading our articles, listening to recommended podcasts, reading research we shared, our blogs... all of it, any of it, more of it.
Yours,
4F and Friends
