Out of the Blue | Tanya Green | Brought to You by Schrader’s

Out of the Blue | Tanya Green | Brought to You by Schrader’s

By Jensen Amyotte

Name: Tanya Green 

Date of Birth: October 27, 1978

Hometown: Calgary, AB

Occupation: Personal Trainer

Bike: Sherco SE 250

Who/what inspired you to get into the sport of motocross and how long have you been racing/riding? 

I rode street bikes with my husband for around 10 years. He got into dirt biking and nagged me until I tried it too. lol. He knew I’d love it so he bugged me until I agreed to try it and I am so thankful!

I’ve been riding for over 5 years now and absolutely love it!

When not on a dirt bike how do you keep yourself busy? Are you involved in any other sports or extracurricular activities?

I am a personal trainer and have an active fitness regime – I mountain bike, lift weights, do yoga, and run. I also have 2 big dogs that I spend a lot of time with. I do scent detection with the older one and obedience training with the baby. 

As a rider, are there any obstacles you feel a female racer has to deal with that maybe a male rider does not?

Women seem to have a stronger sense of self preservation and caution which can be very difficult to overcome. I find that my main issues when I ride are almost always related to getting stuck in my head. It’s taken a lot of mental toughness and practice to overcome this and it’s still a work in progress!! 

From your first ride to where you are now what is something you never thought you would be able to overcome but have?

I thought I’d never be able to go down a steep rocky hill without screaming! 😂 Wheelies are still coming along but I thought I’d never get that wheel off the ground!

What is your favourite place to ride  and why?

McLean Creek is my favourite. Firstly, because that’s where I learned to ride, but also because I’ve spent a lot of time there and it’s become my happy place. My husband and I started going there to off road in our truck. We transitioned into quad and side by sides and now we dirt bike there. We’ve spent years there and I know it well. Also, it’s extremely close to Calgary and so convenient, allowing me to ride multiple times a week!

What is the biggest lesson that motocross racing/ off-road has taught you so far?

To let go; from trusting the bike and allowing it to do what it was made to do, to just letting go of the brakes and letting the bike roll down a crazy hill, I’ve learned that I can’t control everything. 

What kind of track/dirt do you feel you excel at most and why? 

I love rocky, rooty terrain. I learned to ride in McLean Creek so that is the terrain I’ve gotten used to.

If you could give 1 piece of advice to a female of any age who wants to start riding what would it be?

Everyone says seat time is the most important and it absolutely is!! Even if you do the same trail over and over, you will see progress with more hours on the bike!