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After an injury, it can be scary to jump back into the sports you love. You might worry that the same pain or problems will happen again. You might worry that you’ll never be able to achieve the same speed, agility, or even level of fun that you used to. This month, we’re profiling a runner who discovered that it was possible to come back from an injury and feel as fit as ever with the help of ElliptiGO training. She’s an active, vibrant member of our community and we’re excited for you to meet her. Our February 2022 Rider of the Month is Amanda Ghent!

Amanda’s life is multifaceted. She is a mom of two young girls, a wife, and a high school Spanish teacher. She has a passion for music and for running! She describes herself as a “late bloomer runner.”

As a kid, Amanda doesn’t recall physical activity being a big focus in her family. Instead, she and her sister fostered a love of the arts. Running was definitely not on her hobbies list as a young girl. 

She had dabbled in running and other activities like power walking in college (while also struggling with an eating disorder,) but it wasn’t until age 34 that Amanda really started to take up running seriously. While training for her first sprint triathlon, she found her running sweet spot and began to have more and more fun doing it as strength and endurance grew. 

Soon after, she became an active participant in her local running community.

Amanda said, “I joined an early morning run club with a bunch of teachers, signed up for races, and then got a coach. The rest is history. I keep finding random ways to challenge myself, creating bucket list races, and get to have some of the greatest support.”

Endurance events quickly became Amanda’s favorite thing. She recalls a year where she raced 27 times, during which she completed a race 10 weekends in a row, back to back!

“I absolutely LOVE the race atmosphere and after doing so many, it took away a lot of the race anxieties I carried in the beginning. There is always a skill to practice and a lesson to learn in every race, and it’s even better when you experience camaraderie on the course,” she shared.

Yet, like most runners, Amanda had injuries stop her in her tracks. She suffered from issues like bursitis in her knee, bilateral IT issues, a weak foot/ankle, and a constant pulled lower back. 

Amanda described the frustration she felt saying, “I always felt like I was having to step back 100% from running to let my injuries heal.” 

It was feeling impossible to balance all of her weekly miles, her strength training and her nutrition while remaining injury-free…but soon a solution would appear!

Amanda attended the 2019 ZAP adult running camp, where she connected with our very own Jeff Caron, who heads up our Sports Performance division. They stayed in touch, talking about the marathon Jeff completed using ElliptiGO integrated training. Intrigued by the obvious benefits and inspired by other athletes, Amanda was easily persuaded that ElliptiGO bikes would be the perfect addition to her own training.

“Once ElliptiGO was a part of my training, I’ve never had to completely remove activity from my schedule,” Amanda said. “Even when I couldn’t run a step, I was able to transfer 100% of my training onto my elliptical bike…”

“Even throughout the minor niggles or repeat back problems, ElliptiGO has kept my fitness at a place where when I’m ready to fully engage in running again, my aerobic capacity is so solid…”

Amanda is an active member of the ElliptiGO community and always shares fun videos of her riding on social media. Amanda has attended multiple ElliptiGO Rally and World Championships weekends, climbing Palomar and visiting ElliptiGO’s hometown of Solana Beach, California. She has also participated in other events put on by the Global ElliptiGO Riders Club, including The Amazing Race event last year. The ride mimicked the popular TV show, sending ElliptiGO riders on an adventure to find clues and race to destinations around San Diego!

We asked Amanda what’s next on her list of goals to accomplish now that she’s been able to return to training, and here are some of the plans she shared with us:

• Reaching some goal times for the half marathon and 10k distances
• Completing a race in a big city
• Completing a 24-hour ride
• Completing a century ride
• Getting out on her ElliptiGO bike as much as possible
• Working towards some of the female ElliptiGO records

Now, Amanda is helping more people join the stand up revolution as an ElliptiGO Enthusiast in the Charlotte, North Carolina Metro area. In this role, Amanda can help people in her local area take test rides and purchase their ElliptiGO bikes. 

Amanda says that the area has some great paths for ElliptiGO riders like the Sugar Creek Greenway, her favorite spot to ride in Charlotte. Like so many of our riders, her bike attracts attention when she’s out and about!

“I’ve loved riding across town to school or past the university as my ElliptiGO bike garners some cheers and ‘wows,’” she told us.

Finally, we asked Amanda what she’d tell someone who is on the fence about purchasing an ElliptiGO bike. 

She said, “For me, I never knew how much I actually needed it until after I had one. The concept seemed fun but I’d often wonder what I could gain from it? The benefits and value of an ElliptiGO are worth far more than the number you see on the price tag!” 

She continued, “The amount of confidence you can gain, fitness you can grow, opportunity you can have, adventures you can take, and community… you can experience all of it by being a part of the ElliptiGO family.”

Amanda, thank you for trusting us in your journey to recovery and for helping others learn about all the benefits of our products. We’re so glad to have you as a part of our community and as one of our Enthusiasts! You are always smiling when you’re riding or running, and your positivity and energy is infectious.Whether you are new to ElliptiGO bikes and looking to test ride or a current ElliptiGO Owner in the Charlotte Metro Region NC/SC, Amanda can help. You can reach out to here via phone at 803.517.1045 or schedule a test ride by clicking here.

Contact ElliptiGO with nominations to Rider of the Month or share your own story. It may just be the next feature!