Video: Miranda Pushes Her Comfort Zone in Episode 2 from ‘MGM Alternative’
This wasn't just an April fools joke...we really have started a YouTube Channel!
Adrenaline is the main reason we got hooked on mountain biking in the first place. We spend every day trying to see how far and how hard we can push ourselves. Whether it’s going faster, lifting more in the gym, hitting a bigger jump, a bigger drop…it is a relentless pursuit. Our Comfort Zones series is all about finding ways to push ourselves in a supportive environment. We’re challenging ourselves in areas we’re uncomfortable in; although this doesn’t always mean going big and getting gnarly.
Miranda is a strong, capable and skilled rider but she has also had a lot of injuries and setbacks through-out her career. She has had over ten surgeries, kidney failure and concussions and has often struggled regaining confidence afterwards. At the time, Miranda would think that it was a lack of skill that had caused her to crash, but looking back, it was usually a lack of confidence.
 | At the time, Miranda would think that it was a lack of skill that had caused her to crash, but looking back, it was usually a lack of confidence. |
After a strenuous year racing downhill in 2018, she felt that she had reached rock bottom. She had no confidence in her abilities, was ashamed of her performances and was extremely burnt out from forcing risk on herself when she wasn't 100% healthy. It spurred Miranda to step back from downhill racing and focus on Enduro where she felt the risk was much more manageable and she had other weaknesses to focus on. In a way, she was just ignoring a problem, but it allowed her to continue racing. Lately, she has begun to feel stagnant in her riding and was fed-up of not having any confidence. At the end of the day, she is the only one that can change that, so while it has taken her longer than she would have liked, it was time she began to prove to herself what she is capable of!
Miranda had made a mental goal to hit Brutus, a North Shore classic, a sizeable road gap at the base of Cypress Mountain. Instead of going straight to Brutus, she decided to tick off a few more goals along the way. Starting with Poacher, a similar but smaller feature in Squamish. Through the process of hitting both Poacher and Brutus it has helped prove to Miranda the strength of her mind, how to properly focus again and how to methodically work on taking bigger risks. Remi and Jesse helped pushed Miranda in a supportive way that was sustainable. We think it is important to remember that there is a difference between taking a bold and blind risk that is hard to repeat versus one that teaches you how to continue to take risks.
P.S. Jesse was fine...more or less.
| We think it is important to remember that there is a difference between taking a bold and blind risk that is hard to repeat versus one that teaches you how to continue to take risks. |
More About MGM Alternative...
MGM Alternative is made up of a trio of Canada’s fastest mountain bikers. We are: Miranda Miller, Remi Gauvin and Jesse Melamed. Despite living in a time where content is endlessly available, we felt unsatisfied with much of the YouTube and Vlog culture.
Jesse was born and raised in Whistler and has earned multiple Enduro World Series wins. Every ride is a wild one for Jesse and that is what makes him an amazing person to watch. Remi is a Vancouver Island boy who can do it all. Style and power come easy to him whether racing a World Cup DH, EWS, or at Whip off World Champs. Miranda, a sea-to-sky local, is a downhill World Champion and has stood on both downhill and EWS podiums. Her preference is to race down more than up. While we share many similar traits we are all strong individuals that bring something unique to the table.
Andy Vathis Photo
We strive, as competitors, for improvement and progression with tangible results. The search for perfection is constantly morphing and evolving. While aware it is an impossible goal, we are happy to be apart of the chase. We crave, as humans, a sense of community, inclusion and freedom. We’ve been given all of this by the simple means of riding a bike and by being able to do it quickly, we’ve been given so much more!
Our goal is to highlight the reasons and the ways we use mountain biking to fulfill our cravings and hopefully inspire others to find their own community, seek knowledge, progression and have an adventure along the way!
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Being of a certain age myself, Nick's talk around managing risk really resonated. He talked about how second-guessing yourself and having doubts when you hit the feature or try the trick is how you get hurt. He basically does the risk assessment in his head. Once he's decided he CAN do it, then he puts the doubts and fears away. But he also knows to push himself on days when he's feeling it and listen to his body/mood when he's not feeling it, then ride within limits on those days. Anyway, it made sense to me... now if I could just manage to put away the doubts/fears once I've made the decision in my head that I'm capable of doing something.
Stoked on the channel! Great people putting out great content!
And of course, don't pay any mind to others who try to "should" on you, either.
Also, I think the last scene confirms that Jesse is the sketchy boy that should be at the back of the train