Kathryn Bertine - Author, STAND: A memoir on activism. A manual for progress. What really happens when we stand on the front lines of change

Kathryn Bertine

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.

I’m so excited for you to connect with Kathryn, check out her work, and follow along as she continues to share her journey and her message - that through passion, disruption, opportunity and focus, anything is possible and we’re all capable of effective change - with corporations, universities and other professional outlets.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

My name is Kathryn Bertine and I'm an author, filmmaker, former professional athlete, CEO and activist for women's rights. My 4th book, STAND: A memoir on activism. A manual for progress. What really happens when we stand on the front lines of change just released February 2021. I also run the Homestretch Foundation.

How did you get started?

I've been an author for the past 18 years, first getting my start in journalism with ESPN in 2001.

What inspired the work that you're doing?

Necessity is the mother of invention, so when I was a professional athlete, I noticed how gender inequality was rampant in road cycling, and I wanted to fix it.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

My biggest passion is creating equal opportunity for women and minorities. Yes, I feel like I'm living with passion and purpose because of the strides we've made in these fields. There's still more work to be done, of course.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

Helping others. No question about it. Working together to create change and help others gives me immeasurable joy.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

One of the greatest tools is to remember that self-care is just as important as helping others. Making sure I carve out time for myself to enjoy a workout, read a book, watch a movie, etc is vital when it comes to staying grounded. Rest is just as important as action.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

She'd be surprised we veered from the "typical life path" of women in their 40s, but at the same time, she'd be pretty stoked and supportive that we stayed true to following our gut.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation? 

Yes. "Together we all move forward" is my 'mantraffirmation' and it's also the mission of Homestretch Foundation. It's a reminder that change and growth--both professionally and personally--comes from working together with others.

What is your biggest dream?

To live a life of writing books, creating change, being outside and always finding time for love, friends and balance.

To learn more about Kathryn and connect visit her website www.kathrynbertine.com and on Twitter @kathrynbertine Instagram @kathryn_bertine and Facebook @KathrynBertineAuthorAthleteActivist

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