58 Candles

Barb is our unsung hero on Team Vanderkitten. She is the one who has spent countless hours creating our club team here at the beach. What started with 1 team member has ended with 20 plus ladies who have all come together to enjoy the life of a cyclist both on and off the bike.

Barb is a stunning woman whose husband describes her as his “china doll.” The girls on our team know that behind that face and that porcelain skin is a true competitor finding her way in a sport where she will ultimately excel to a new level.

The felines on the team refer to our club manager as our “BARBie Cat.” What most of our teammates don’t realize is the resume she has built over the years. She started her sports career early on at the game of tennis. She then moved on to being a ski instructor. She was top notch in freestyle skiing and rock climbing. While she was in California she was part of the first wave of females to compete in triathlons. She has run a 3:09 marathon and also held 2 world records for 24 hour relays run on a track with her team “Bosom Buddies.” This china doll is a force to be reckoned with, as you can see. Not only does she embrace every sport she tries, but her family does as well. Her daughter Lauren is traveling around the country on a bike and her son Patrick is on his way to becoming a professional surfer. Albie, her husband and one of our Manderkittens, shares her love of cycling and has found himself wrapped up in the sport. Instead of spending hours on the sidelines cheering our team on, he has found that his time will be better spent racing as well!

Our VK beach club team is so fortunate to have Barb watching over us. She has sacrificed her season to see that our first season goes smoothly. Her birthday wish is to find herself on a time trial bike soon where she will shave minutes off her time. Your VK friends hope that your birthday wish comes true!