Katherine Bertine and the Homestretch Foundation

Pedaling the Pueblo: Katherine Bertine and the Homestretch Foundation

Katherine Bertine moved to Tucson for graduate school, and fell in love—with Tucson! An elite athlete all her life, a friend suggested she give bicycling a try, and she took to it as one does here in the Old Pueblo. She quickly realized as she climbed the ranks into the professional riding circuit that deep inequity existed between the tools and resources available to female pro cyclists, when compared to what was available to men. Using her journalism and communication skills, Katherine created a documentary, Half the Road: the Passion, Pitfalls and Power of Women’s Pro Cycling, to move the conversation forward about the disparity in women’s pro racing.

Katherine also spearheaded a movement for women to gain access to elite, multi-stage races like the Tour de France with a campaign called Le Tour Entier.

Here in Tucson, Katherine started the Homestretch Foundation which provides cycling support, camaraderie, and housing to women training to become elite, professional bike racers.

Pedaling the Pueblo: Katherine Bertine and the Homestretch Foundation

Pedaling the Pueblo is a mini-program and podcast that connects people to news and information about Tucson’s bicycle culture. A collective of bicycle enthusiasts host and produce weekly programs covering a wide variety of topics. From community events to questions about how bicycle funding works; tips to start riding more to interviews with local bicycling legends, Pedaling the Pueblo explores life on two wheels from a “people first” approach, allowing us all to have an open dialogue about how people move through our shared built environment.

Content is responsive to and driven by the community, so if you have a question or topic you’d like to hear covered, email us at [email protected]. You can also find us on Facebook.