One local woman's acquired passion for mountain biking, natural love for outdoor adventure and desire to see the world is dispatching her on an extraordinary journey of the Ho Chi Minh Trail this December.
Local cyclist Aerah Hardin will join world-champion Red Bull athlete and mountain biker Rebecca Rusch on her yearly ride of the historical route.
"A huge aspect of this trip I hope to bring back is for me to embrace not just my strong, independent woman-leader side, which is super comfortable for me, but for me to take that risk, allow myself to show the emotions (and) let myself be vulnerable so I can reach and relate to other women-riders on a deeper level. ... When I watched Rebecca's (Rusch) movie (documentary) 'Blood Road,' I was struck immensely by how hard it was for her to be vulnerable (and) show emotion, yet be a strong, athletic woman who is known for her strength in leadership and racing. I relate so much on that level of being that strong woman running a large nonprofit, being very athletic, (and) it's almost like it's frowned upon for us to show any ounce of vulnerability. But I've realized I'm missing so many opportunities to reach other women when I don't allow honest emotions to come through," Hardin said.
The extensive network of passageways that make up the infamous Ho Chi Minh eclipse 10,000 miles of mountain and jungle terrain weaving throughout bordering regions of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Hardin's and Rusch's destination was not randomly selected. The three-week, over 1,200-mile-long biking expedition was initially inspired by Rusch years after her father was shot down during the Vietnam War.
In an effort to raise awareness and make a difference in Laos, Rusch returns to the region leading group mountain biking trips on the trail. In December, Hardin and a team of other experienced riders on a group mountain bike trip will join Rusch on the trek while revisiting the location of her father's crash site along the path right around the anniversary of his death.
"We are going on the exact same path that she took through Laos (before), so we're going to do about 500 miles through Laos," noted Hardin. "It's the Ho Chi Minh Trail, so it's very rural (and) very remote. We have to carry everything. She's having us bring multiple backup bike parts because if anything happens, there's nowhere to fix your bike; we have to do all of that. We are going to get to go through villages, we're going to meet the locals and we're going to see the villages that have been hurt and rebuilt with all of these huge bomb craters."
Before receiving news of her admittance on the venture, Hardin was in search of something more when she first discovered her ardor for biking. After being elevated to COO of First Step in Hot Springs, the rider has kept a lookout for unique and adventurous opportunities that could overall challenge and replenish her.
"What got me started was (that) I needed another outlet," she said. "Mountain biking hadn't gotten really big in Hot Springs yet. I was living here (and) I'm really active, but I was just grabbing for straws at something to do. And a friend of mine was like, 'Oh! You should try biking and come out with us.' I was like, 'Oh yeah, that's easy,' and I got on a mountain bike and was like, 'Holy crap!' I ran, I hike all the time; I was teaching Jazzercise (and) I was in good shape. So I got on a bike and I was just like, 'Holy s - - - , this is hard; I love this.'"
"I did it here and there, and going through this one friend, (I) met this whole community of women and men. It's not like it's just something I was trying to get into to find girlfriends or guy friends, (but) I just landed into this incredible group of people and they all were just like, 'Here, yeah, come with us, even though you barely know how to bike.' It was a very welcoming thing and then we would just go on these crazy adventures."
As Hardin's love for mountain biking grew along with her sense of exploration trekking through nature at new speeds, her skills for the sport speedily progressed.
"Because of the distance you can cover, you can get out and see things that you would never be able to see if you were just hiking or running. There's a beautiful freedom in it; that's kind of what hooked me pretty quick," she said.
The sport went on to present Hardin with a myriad opportune engagements including the Ho Chi Minh bike trek. Hardin learned of the venture through a post on Instagram and it wasn't long before Rusch contacted Hardin after receiving her application online.
With purposeful reasons explained on Rusch's 'Blood Road' documentary film, Hardin quickly viewed the truth and was provided the insight needed to see and comprehend the undeniable ambition truly framing Rusch's meaningful journey.
"I teased Rebecca Rusch that I'm probably the only person that's ever applied for this trip and never seen the documentary before I applied," said Hardin. "It's the documentary that this trip is based on. And honestly, I started a new position here at First Step; (it) was a very stressful transition and when I got stressed out, I just needed adventure to kind of keep me excited. So I went online and it just happened (where) I was on Instagram, Rebecca had posted something and I clicked on the link. ... I just really kind of ended up seeing this trip and honestly I was like, 'Yeah, this is what I need,'" she said.
"I didn't look at how much it was (and) I didn't look at how long I would have to take off work; I just saw that it was an incredible trip and (that) it had a purpose behind it. I love that there's a mission (and) a purpose, so I applied (for it) thinking that I'll never hear from Rebecca Rusch; she probably just takes famous people on this kind of stuff, and then two days later, I got an email from Rebecca freaking Rusch that said, 'Hey, can I talk to you about this trip?' and I was like, 'Who's pulling a prank on me?' She called and we talked for an hour or so about the trip, about what I do and why I wanted to go on the trip. ... (We) had an incredible conversation and she just offered me a spot right then," Hardin said.
The genuine realization that the task before her could entail a personal, life-changing experience encourages Hardin to truly embrace the quest and all that comes with it while scoping out the culture of her surroundings.
"I just want to make sure I'm taking it all in -- every ounce of it and not just come back with (having gone on) a cool trip with this bada - - hall-of-fame mountain biker, but I want to be like, 'This is what I saw; this is what these people's lives are like and just the destruction of war.' It's a huge piece of history that I'm about to experience. I know that it's going to be pretty personal and intense. I'm excited to see where it leads me," Hardin said.
For Hardin and her comrades, the challenges ahead are evident, and the mission, vital. The support and sense of community she's been welcomed into here in her hometown of Hot Springs encourages Hardin for the undertaking ahead while she reassures others who are looking to find a new outlet for growth, opportunity, and adventure in biking to not overlook what could easily be right in front of you.
"Don't let your lack of experience or thinking you're not good enough hold you back," she said of others interested in the sport. "We were all beginners at one time. ... Every time I take new people out, I just want to encourage them not to worry about slowing anybody down, because you're going to build (and) get better, and we're all out here to support each other and to help grow the biking community," Hardin said.
"In Hot Springs, we have a phenomenal closeness in community with bikers. Some of us are on crazy high levels, but we're all out there to do the same thing; to experience nature, get exercise, but to (also) build community and build up Hot Springs. My big thing is (to not) be intimidated, man, just get out there; we're all out there in this together."
HER Magazine on 11/15/2019