The misty forests above North Vancouver, British Columbia are hallowed ground for mountain

biking, a place so harrowing it’s influenced every aspect of the sport for over 30 years. It’s also

where Betty Birrell, at age 45, picked up mountain biking after a career as a mountaineer and

professional windsurfer. Three decades later, the single mother is a role model for her son, her

friends and anyone she’s met along the way—and proof that you’re never too old to send.