Building a year-round community for women who ride

This story was written by Susan Medrano, senior vice president and general manager for Synchrony Outdoors, and Ashmore Ellis, co-founder and owner of Babes in the Dirt.

Since 2007, on the first Saturday in May, women from across more than 120 countries have gotten on their bikes, hit the road or the trail, and celebrated the active lifestyles of women who ride. The brainchild of Vicki Gray, International Female Ride Day (IFRD) promotes women in motorcycling and powersports and motivates aspiring women riders to join in.

Now, almost two decades later, what started as a single day on the calendar has helped to fuel a massive cultural shift. Women are now the fastest-growing segment in powersports, riding for fun and competing in both amateur and professional events around the world.

But this journey is far from over. For every woman who rides today, there remain many others who still haven’t found their way. For many, cost can be a barrier to entry and purchasing the right bike or vehicle to get started is unaffordable. Others may be looking for more events where they can meet the larger riding community and feel welcome to participate.

IFRD lights the spark

One organization that’s helping carry the torch is Babes in the Dirt. As its co-founder, Ashmore built the organization around a clear mission to enhance each rider’s skill set, connect them with other off-road enthusiasts sharing the same passion, and open the door for others. That mission is what brought Synchrony into the picture.

At the 2024 Babes in the Dirt event, Ashmore and her team found that nearly a quarter of attendees didn’t own their own bike. Soon after, Synchrony joined as a sponsor and official financing partner, dedicated to helping women access the vehicles, gear, and accessories they need to hit the trail.

Turning one moment into many

While IFRD provides the ultimate gathering, it’s just one day. Driving a movement requires a flow of opportunities to come together with fellow riders, share the passion, and make space for those just finding their way in.

As part of Synchrony’s commitment to growing women’s participation in powersports, Susan and her team have hosted multiple Women of Powersports networking luncheons at AIMExpo, a premier powersports industry event, bringing together women leaders from across the industry to celebrate progress and plan for what comes next.

This includes brainstorming ideas and how the powersports community can continue attracting new female riders while retaining those already participating. It’s through these types of gatherings that we guarantee this momentum never runs out of gas.

It takes a powersports village

IFRD is a celebration, and it deserves to be treated as one. But it also calls on each of us to take the torch and help. This includes shaping what the sport looks like year-round, ensuring the community is genuinely welcoming to women who are just starting out, that the infrastructure exists to support them, and that people and organizations with influence in this industry are actively using it to open doors.

The progress is now visible at the highest levels of competition. Home to the best and brightest female athletes in the sport, the Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX) took a groundbreaking step forward in 2026 with its inclusion into the SMX League. Today, the WMX is fully integrated into the sport’s premier global platform and Synchrony is proud to serve as its presenting sponsor.

Carrie Coombs-Russell, CEO of MX Sports Pro Racing, captured the significance of the moment when she said, “This is a landmark moment for the WMX and all female enthusiasts within the motocross community. We have long been committed to providing a platform for the fastest women’s racers to compete and now have a true global stage to showcase their talents with vital partnership support.”

This year, IFRD once again placed the spotlight on the explosion of the female rider community, showing that all our efforts are paying off. But, as it does each year, the day also served as a strong reminder that we must also step forward to help this community grow, celebrate our current riders, and cultivate the newest entrants 365 days a year.

So, as you plan your next ride, introduce someone new if you can. And if you can do something that makes this sport more accessible for women, do it. Not just on that day, but every day after.