Favorite Female Cyclists #3 - Leigh Donovan

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I would say that #3 in my Favorite Female Cyclists series was pretty darn good: Orange, California's Leigh Donovan. Starting out as a champion BMX racer, Leigh Donovan raced mountain bikes professionally for eight years, competing in both Downhill and Slalom. She is the most highly decorated Female US Downhiller and Slalom racer. Donovan was the 1995 UCI World Downhill Champion and stood on UCI World Cup podiums a whopping 39 times. Donovan was also a nine time NORBA (American) National Champion. She is the only female in both the BMX and Mountain Bike Halls of Fame. Back in the 1990's, the old OLN (Outdoor Life Network) showed a lot of mountain biking, which meant we got to watch Leigh race on TV every week. Although I did root for two other ladies as well, I always loved watching her. Leigh Donovan is a multiple business owner, one of which allows her to remain part of the sport: with her company iChooseBikes, she coaches and runs mountain bike camps for women. (Info verified by Wikipedia)