by | Press Release BOISE, ID – September 30 2020 – Racing and connection to our communities are both essential components to the TWENTY20 team and program. Oneida Tribe member Shayna Powless , has found a silver lining in the times of Covid-19 with less travel on her calendar and flexibility to focus additional time on supporting her Native American community while upping her eSports game on Zwift. Shayna is dedicated to empowering Native youth through sports camps, and raising awareness of missing and murdered indigenous women through an organization founded by she and her partner, NFL Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Eli Ankou . We caught up with Shayna to share more about her commitment to her heritage and community in this week’s TWENTY20 news. “The Zwift WTRL Gravel series was a four race event held once a week over four weeks. It took place on the virtual racing platform called Zwift, a virtual cycling program in which you ride a bike hooked up to a smart trainer that pairs with the Zwift app via bluetooth connection. The races featured riders from around the world, since anyone from any country was able to compete. Each race in the gravel series was 18.2 miles and took place on the Jungle Circuit in Zwift. The circuit consisted of mostly dirt and a little bit of pavement, hence why my race bike of choice was a mountain bike. I was fifth place in the first race of the series, and 4th place in the second race, so going into the last two races I was super eager to win. In the last two races, I was able to hang on with the lead group out-sprinted everyone just before the finish line. This year I’ve seen a tremendous amount of growth on the Zwift platform. Zwift has really done an amazing job stepping up during a time when in-real-life racing has been put on hold and it’s been fun seeing more and more cyclists of all levels participate. Zwift has allowed my teammates and I to continue racing and communicating together in ways that I never would have thought possible before this year. Before and during races, our team (Team Twenty20) often communicates live via Discord (a group-call app) in order to discuss tactics and speak to each other if needed during critical moments in the competitions, an added element to virtual racing that has made it that much more like IRL racing. The highlight of the racing so far this year has undoubtedly been the first ever virtual Tour De France hosted back in July in which our team finished second overall. It’s truly amazing that the world’s most prestigious cycling event was made available for both top tier professional teams, and the public community. I’ll be forever grateful for Zwift for making the TDF race series happen and for creating an equal platform for both men and women in the races and media representation. |
| Overall, I really do believe Zwift has made me mentally and physically tougher as an athlete. With the workouts my coach, Kristin Armstrong, has been giving me both on and off Zwift, I definitely feel like I’ve taken my training to the next level. I’ve seen myself set some personal power and heart rate records within the past year on Zwift which has been really rewarding and motivating. My hope is to continue incorporating Zwift into my regular training routine and keep improving in hopes that I can make the USA team for the first-ever Zwift World Championships in December. Lastly, I am also excited about the new addition of Antonina Reznikov (of Israel) to our Zwift team. Having raced with her throughout the gravel series and other events, I’ve come to regard her as a top competitor. There’s no doubt that she is exceptionally strong and will be a valuable teammate to have in the upcoming races. She is also a mom of two and a world class triathlete which is amazing!” – Shayna Powless Closing moments of Shayna’s win below courtesy of Zwift Community Live! |
 |
| Dreamcatcher FoundationPowless raising awareness for missing or murdered Native American women |
| “As a member of the Oneida Nation and my partner Eli Ankou, a member of the Ojibwe Tribe and defensive tackle for the NFL Indianapolis Colts, we are both are committed to the Native American community. We formed a non-profit organization called the Dreamcatcher Foundation which is dedicated to empowering Native youth through sports camps, and raising awareness to missing and murdered indigenous women. For those who are unaware, here are some of the sad statistics regarding mmiw: A report from the National Institute of Justice found that four out of five Native American women have experienced violence at some point in their lives. The Centers for Disease Control report that homicide is the third leading cause of death among Native American women between the ages of 10 and 24, and the Department of Justice reports that Native American women are ten times more likely to be murdered than other Americans. Additionally, there is no record of exactly how many indigenous women are missing in the U.S. These grim statistics prove that there is a dire need for change involving prevention and justice for these women. Though some action has been taken, there is still much more work that has to be done. Fortunately, on September 21st, the House of Representatives passed Savanna’s Act, a bill designed to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women in the country. The bill was named for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a 22-year-old pregnant woman who was killed in 2017. The bill requires the creation of protocols to address missing or murdered Native American women, with the goal of improving coordination and data collection between federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies. It also increases federal support from the Department of Justice in local cases. LaFontaine-Greywind is one of more than 500 Indigenous women who have been classified as missing or murdered in recent years, according to a 2018 report by the Urban Indian Health Institute. Researchers say the numbers are likely much higher. The bill was originally passed by the Senate in March and will now head to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. Thanks for reading.” Shayna Powless For more informationContact: Jenna@athletesandcauses.org Follow Dreamcatcher Foundation on Instagram and Facebook |
