In the spirit of graduation, join us in celebrating Idaho senior Nevyn Brandel! A member of the Sage International School team and a dedicated peer-mentor and leader, she was selected as the Fall 2025 winner of the NICA x Rudy Project Senior Send Off!

Q1: What is your name, team name, and NICA league?

My name is Nevyn Brandel and I’m in the Idaho league. I’ve raced for the Sage International School mountain bike team since 6th grade.

Q2: What has made your NICA experience, and especially your senior season, special?

My NICA experience has been so meaningful to me because of all of the people I’ve met and all the ways I’ve grown. I know it sounds cheesy, but NICA has truly been life changing because the program has given me so much more than just race-day competition. My senior season has especially been impactful because I had the opportunity to be my team’s captain and participate in Idaho’s Student Leadership Council and GRiT Mentor programs. Through these opportunities, I grew personally in my public speaking, self-confidence, leadership, and communication skills. I also was able to build meaningful connections with mountain bikers throughout the state. Having a community of so many unique people makes race weekends and rides wonderful. Overall, being able to grow from a 6th grader into a leader and role model on my team has made my whole NICA experience the most special. One of my biggest goals is to be the mentor I needed when I started this sport at 11 years old. My senior season has really been a culmination of this, and I’m proud of the individual connections I’ve built and the (hopefully) long-term impact I’ll have on my team!

Q3: How will you continue to engage with cycling post-graduation?

Mountain biking will always remain a part of my life as a way to regulate my mental health. Taking time to ride by myself is almost like meditation and reminds me of my strength and resilience. And it is a wonderful way to build a welcoming, joyful community, especially as I’m leaving home for college adventures. I’ll probably shift my racing and training focus to road racing, especially criterium races. Crit races are a fun different experience from mountain biking- fast and really reliant on teamwork for individual success. But I want to prioritize maintaining all the relationships I’ve built through mountain biking and hopefully continue to spread my passion for the sport as a coach or bikepacking guide.

Q4: What are your plans for after graduation?

I’m looking forward to going to college, hopefully in the West here with plenty of access to outdoor adventures! But first I am considering a gap year to really spend time adventuring and finding my passions before I commit to getting my degree in a certain field. I want my career to be fulfilling and focused on giving back to others, and I would like to spend a gap year pursuing work like this. I’d love to spend a summer working on a fire crew or leading bikepacking tours around the country. Although I’m not 100 percent sure what the next few years will look like for me, I’m just looking forward to living life to the fullest, working hard, and finding what I’m passionate about.

Q5: How did winning the Senior Send Off impact your senior season?

Winning the Senior Send Off has been a wonderful experience this season. It has felt like an acknowledgement for all the time, passion, and work I’ve put into NICA the past 7 years. I feel really grateful to be able to share the impact NICA and mountain biking has had on my life through this interview. And of course, the Rudy Project helmet and glasses are stylish, and wearing them this season probably made me faster and definitely made me feel safe!

Q6: What would you like to say to all your coaches, volunteers, and race staff as a farewell?

Thank you! I hope all of my coaches, volunteers, and the Idaho league staff know how much of a positive impact you have. Because of role models like you, there are kids whose NICA experiences will become foundational for how they chose to live their lives and give back to their communities. I’m so, so grateful to have been part of NICA, the Idaho league, and the Sage mountain bike team because you gave me an opportunity to find out who I am and who I want to be.

This content was authored by NICA’s coach education team. NICA’s comprehensive coach education program provides new and existing coaches with the high-quality training and resources they need to be confident, competent, and empowered leaders on their youth mountain bike teams. NICA coaches not only create amazing experiences for student-athletes, they create a foundation for building healthy mountain bike communities. NICA coaches change lives! 

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