Meet Mary Selkirk and Lee Ballance, an incredible couple that will be riding in their 3rd Climate Ride together! Mary was the first-ever woman to be a professional river guide on the Rogue River in 1974, and Lee has a black belt in Aikido. This talented duo traveled all the way from California to join us on the Northeast Ride.
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Lee describes, “The pleasure I experience riding my bike is the same that I felt when I was a kid and I love riding in [new] places. The opportunity to do that while raising money for causes [we] believe in and riding with like-minded others is unbeatable.”
Mary continues, “We love the community, the superbly organized Climate Ride support crew, and the physical challenge of pushing ourselves to get and stay in shape. Having the ride schedules keeps me riding in the months leading up to the ride. “
Both Mary and Lee are fundraising for Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) and Marine Applied Research and Exploration (MARE). As climate activists and passionate volunteers for CCL, “Climate Ride is a way that the two of us can introduce other riders to our work with CCL and share our experiences,” Mary explains. Last year, Mary and Lee went to Paris for the Climate Change Conference. This year, they are establishing new CCL chapters in California and lobbying with California’s elected officials to support the Carbon Fee and Dividend proposal.
“I love riding with Mary,” Lee states. “We always find new experiences to share and, amazingly, new things to talk about on each ride.” Welcome back, Mary and Lee!