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Face2Face with David Peck

Activist, Author & Athlete

Ep. 572

Kathryn Bertine and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new book Stand, activism, social change, the gender gap, beacons of hope, mental health and why things are not always as they seem.

Buy the book here and learn more about Kathryn here.

STAND: A memoir on Activism. A manual for progress. What really happens when we stand on the front lines of change.

“I don’t have time for a blurb, but congratulations on your book!”

Malcolm Gladwell.

“When confronted with injustice, Kathryn Bertine didn't quit, and she didn't back down: she poured her heart and soul into confronting this injustice, and she emerged victorious. Kathryn's story is one of hope and perseverance despite the odds being stacked against her. Every girl and woman who's been told they can't play or keep up with the boys will take heart from this inspirational, life-affirming story.”

Gabby Giffords, U.S. Congresswoman, Survivor & Activist.

“On and off the bicycle, Kathryn Bertine has always chosen the challenging road. Whether it was her tenacious battle for equal road at the Tour de France, or her soul searching comeback from a traumatic crash, Bertine's career as an athlete and advocate has been marked by courage, determinedness and an unshakeable sense of humor. As a slowpoke on two wheels, I hate that a talented cyclist can also be a great writer, but STAND is an inspiring testament to the power of choosing the challenging road, and it demonstrates how lucky all of sports – not just cycling – is to have Kathryn Bertine.”

Jason Gay, The Wall Street Journal. Author of Little Victories.

“No one takes a stand like Kathryn Bertine. Rider, writer and above all activist she has fought long and hard for everyone to share the road. As a collaborator and interviewee she’s warm, witty and above all wise, as a writer she has the rare talent of infusing activism with humour and it’s her intelligence and humanity that makes STAND such a compelling, honest and kick ass (could substitute inspiring but you’re a kick ass) read.”

Suze Clemitson, The Guardian

About Kathryn:

Kathryn Bertine is an author, athlete, activist and documentary filmmaker. During her pro career in cycling, she was a three-time Caribbean Champion, six-time national champion of St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN) and raced five years on pro circuit with four UCI domestic and World Tour teams Colavita, Wiggle-Honda, BMW and Cylance Pro Cycling. She retired from racing in 2017 but remains active in advancing equity for women’s pro cycling.

Off the bike, Bertine is a filmmaker, activist, journalist and author of three nonfiction books, All the Sundays Yet to Come, As Good As Gold, and The Road Less Taken. From 2006 through 2012, Bertine was a columnist, author and senior editor for ESPN. When she pitched a documentary film on women’s pro cycling to ESPN in 2012, they rejected the proposal. So Bertine decided she would make it herself. After a two-year labor of love and crowdsourcing adventures, in 2014, HALF THE ROAD: The passion, pitfalls and power of women’s professional cycling was released. It won five film festivals, debuted in 16 nations, scored international distribution and successfully brought the hammer down on the corruption and sexism in sports. Half the Road is now available on iTunes, Vimeo, Amazon Prime and DVD. Five years later, she continues to receive royalties on a film ESPN said no one would watch.

As an advocate for equality in women’s sports, Bertine then started the social activism movement Le Tour Entier in an effort to bring parity to women’s professional road cycling, starting with the Tour de France. She and her team succeeded, and women’s field was included in 2014 with the addition of La Course by Tour de France. In 2017, she founded (and currently serves as CEO for) Homestretch Foundation, which provides free housing to female professional athletes struggling with the gender pay gap. Bertine was featured on the cover of Bicycling Magazine and profiled in Outside Magazine for her platforms of implementing change in the world.

As an activist, Bertine continues to serve as a public speaker/lecturer on equality and advocacy. She shares her journey and her message—that through passion, disruption, opportunity and focus, anything is possible and we’re all capable of effecting change—with corporations, universities and other professional outlets. She is currently at work on her fourth book. A native of Bronxville, NY she lives in Tucson, AZ. She holds a BA from Colgate University and an MFA from the University of Arizona and a PhD from The School of Hard Knocks. Image Copyright and Credit: Kathryn Bertine.

F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

 


 

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