Amy D. Foundation picks Fahringer for 2015/16 ‘cross season

The Amy D. Foundation will sponsor Rebecca Fahringer, 26, for the 2015/16 cyclocross season, continuing the program it began last year with Erica Zaveta.

“Amy D. Racing is designed to support a young woman that clearly has the passion, talent, and drive that my sister Amy possessed. We also look for an athlete who, with full support, could reach a new level in her cycling career,” said Dan Dombroski, co-founder of the Amy D. Foundation with Nicole Novembre. “We see that kind of potential in Rebecca. She’s set up her life for extreme focus this season, and that was a huge factor in selecting her from the pool of applicants.”

Now residing in Concord, New Hampshire, Fahringer grew up in Ohio, waitressing and mucking out barn stalls to keep her horse. She has a background in running — track and cross country — but she moved on to triathlons while at the University of Dayton.

At graduate school, Fahringer turned her attention to cycling. After one season of road racing, she learned of Amy Dombroski’s fatal accident in October 2013. “The passion of the cyclocross community really struck a chord with me, and I mourned as if I had lost a friend,” Fahringer wrote in her application to the Foundation.

The following weekend, she pedaled to 31st place in her first ‘cross race while envisioning a mud-splattered Amy Dombroski in action.

Upon completing a geological science master’s degree in May 2014, she made a decision that echoed Amy Dombroski’s adventurous spirit. The longtime student dropped academics to chase a career in cyclocross.

“I have completely aligned my life towards being a successful bike racer, which is terrifying on a day-to-day basis. But having a great support system and being driven by my desire to be good is what pushes me through.”

For this season, her goals include a UCI podium finish and a top-10 finish at national championships. Her first outing in the Amy D. Racing kit will be at the Full Moon Vista-Ellison Park Cyclocross Festival.

“Being selected for the Amy D. Racing program is really an honor,” she added. “It means the foundation believes I will represent them well on and off the bike, which is hugely flattering. It means I will have the support I need to do my best, which is such a relief. This selection will really make sure I hold myself to the highest standards possible, and I am excited to see what the season brings.”