To watch sixteen year old Maggie Jones ride with the big boys, you'd think she's been on a bike her whole life.. impressing even her coach.
David says, "I've seen a lot of cyclists over the years and a lot of very talented cyclists and she's unique in some regards."
It's hard to believe she started road biking only a year ago.
Caryn says, "She seemed to really have a knack for it…and she got faster than me really fast, which was a little alarming as her Mom"
Maggie says, "Last year we went to the Nevada City classic...and so I was watching the races and these people were just in so much pain and I realized "hey, I could do that", and so I got a bike and started riding."
And what a ride it has been...in her first full season of racing, she has 10 wins, she's taken second place four times, and earned first place overall in the California Junior Points Series competition.
Maggie says, "I've done well in most of my races but they haven't been that big…I'm just going to start getting into the women's races and get into the tougher competition."
And in her first race in the Senior division, she finished second.
David says, "she's able to put herself in a place mentally that you need to be in order to endure a long, difficult event without cracking.
In order to devote more time to her bicycle racing, this sixteen-year-old graduated high school a year early, and is now enrolled at Butte College.
Caryn says, "Maggie's always been very determined, when she wants to do something she does it and she does it well."
And in a Kids in Action update... A.J. Casella.. the 17 year old we featured three weeks ago.. raised a whopping 53-thousand dollars in his fishing tournament at Lake Almanor.
Last week, A.J. presented that check to the 'Make A Wish' Foundation.
That's 11-thousand more than he raised in 2008.
