Here is what Amy wrote about herself:
 

I started riding bikes in high school, doing weekly mountain bike races at Holiday Farm in my hometown of Dalton Massachusetts every summer. In college I started road biking, and I joined the small squad of cyclists at Dartmouth in the spring of 2001. I did my first collegiate race the same week that I got my first road bike, and I loved it. Over my years at Dartmouth, the team grew larger and stronger and I lived for the fun and camaraderie of traveling with a ragtag group of friends all over the northeast for 9 weeks every spring. The team also enjoyed the success of winning three collegiate national championships in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

After graduation in 2005, I was so sad that I felt like I would never again have a team and the fun like I'd had racing at Dartmouth. So finally I decided to give road racing on the USCF circuit a try with the Verizon Wireless / Wheelworks women's squad out of Boston. This was a great summer of racing, and in the meantime I picked up a full-time job as an environmental engineer for Woodard & Curran in Andover, Mass and moved to Medford, Mass.

Looking for any way to keep the season going and not get sucked into the working world with no weekend outlet, I picked up my first cyclocross bike in October of 2005. Why didn't anyone tell me about this before?!? This is the most fun I've ever had on a bike, and the cyclocross season last fall was absolutely incredible. Racing in the pouring rain? awesome. Knee-deep mud? heck yes. Snow?!? I can race my bike in the snow?! wow... crashing can be fun! I think you get the picture - I liked it. There was nothing better than driving off to the races Friday afternoon, staying with a group of friends through Sunday night and then leaving for work early Monday morning. The season was a blast, and was of course highlighted with the National Championships in Providence RI where I finished 9th in the elite women's race.

I have been counting down the days until the 2006 season starts for several months already and can't believe I get to ride for such an illustrious team as the Richard Sachs team this fall. I am psyched for my second season - I have big goals for this year and hope to represent Richard Sachs and our sponsors well.

To that I will add that, as it was occurring, she lets out this big "wheeeeeeeeeeee..." like a happy child might do on a roller coaster ride. From that innocent chance sighting, I could not help but follow this rider — Amy — for the rest of the race to see what all this enthusiasm might yield. She looked so comfortable in this 'cross arena. I asked someone who she was. I looked for her at other venues. It was clear to me that she had the goods. Better yet, she appeared to be having fun.

In december at the National Championships, i watched as Amy comfortably stayed within the top-ten in what I would find out was still her 3rd month ever of 'cross racing. She finished 9th. Afterward, a chance introduction between us led to a quick chat about the "what-ifs" for the 2006 season and, by January, amy had joined our little group.

Here is some snipped text that was within an email exchange between amy's coach and me that attests to what i just wrote:

<cut> for the record - i first noticed her at gearworks and was "floored"; she seemed strong, talented, unawed by the conditions, and - most importantly - lookin' like she really enjoyed the adversity. i watched her in the ensuing races and thought "what if?". serendipitously, she approached me at natz </cut>

Man — I cannot wait for 'cross to begin!!

Richard Sachs is a craftsman framebuilder who has been refining his skills for over a quarter-century.  For more information, please contact: