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IBEW Apprentice Goes For Off-Road Racing Gold

July 28, 2008

Maria Forsberg’s KTM 250 XC-F off-road motorcycle roared through the forest surrounding Idaho City, Idaho, in May. After two days of jumping hills, splashing through streams and taking hairpin turns at nearly 50 mph, Forsberg took the lead in the Idaho City 100, a qualifier event that decides who will represent the United States at the world off-road racing championship – the International Six Day Enduro –  this September in Greece. The event is known as the Olympics of off-road motorcycle racing.

Two days and more than 200 miles later, caked in mud and dead tired, the 21-year-old Forsberg beat out four other world-class competitors, grabbing herself a spot on the reigning champion U.S. women’s trophy team.  But she didn’t have time to savor her victory. She had to get back to her hometown of Brier, Wash., to get her tools ready for Monday morning. “I’ve got a job to get back to,” she said.  

While many leading off-road competitors have the luxury of racing full-time, Forsberg puts in a full week’s work as a fourth-year apprentice member of Everett, Wash., Local 191 in between races. As much as she loves the sport, she knew that having a good career was necessary to support herself and her riding interests.

“As soon I turned 18, I knew it was time to grow up and get myself into a good job,” Forsberg said.

She was inspired to get into the industry by her father, who repairs heating and cooling systems. Forsberg would often tag along with him to jobs as a child. “I loved the electrical aspects of the systems so it got me thinking about becoming an electrician,” she said.  Both her father and brother are union members, so she decided to check out the IBEW.

Her family, in addition to inspiring her career choice, is also the source of her racing passion. “My mom and dad actually met at an off-road race,” said Forsberg, whose father still competes locally. She started riding almost as soon as she learned to walk, graduating to professional competitions at age 12.

It didn’t take long for her to make a splash in the racing world, winning her first Northwest Motorcycle Association competition in 2001. Last year, in between running wire and bending conduit at the local Boeing plant, she managed to become the reigning women’s champion of the World Off-Road Championship Series for a third time.

Balancing a full-time job while remaining at the top of her sport requires a strong work ethic. Endurance matters more than speed in off-road biking so Forsberg gets in at least two hours of cross-training a day, every day. “Anything I can do to work on my cardio, I do it,” she said. She also manages to get on her bike at least three times a week.

Her racing exploits have made her a bit of a celebrity among her co-workers. “They’re pretty impressed and they are very supportive when I have to move my schedule around for competitions,” she said.

Local 191 Business Manager Dave Howson is also impressed. “Her work ethic and positive attitude make her a role model,” he said. The local is helping her line up sponsors and raise the estimated $15,000 it will take for her to compete.

The Enduro – an international race first run in 1913 – is a six-day race over more than 700 miles of Greek countryside, with racers confronting nearly every kind of tough terrain imaginable, from rocky hills and muddy forests to fast-moving streams. Competitors are responsible for servicing their own bikes, making the race as much about mechanical ability and quick hands as horsepower. It’s a part of the sport where her IBEW training will no doubt come in handy.

“Since I was just a little girl, competing in this event has always been one of my dreams,” Forsberg said.

She also is looking forward to the opportunity to raise the IBEW’s and NECA’s profile among racing fans. “The competition will get some pretty big TV and magazine coverage so I want make sure they get a good look at my IBEW patches,” she said.

For more on the International Six Day Enduro, visit www.isde2008.gr.