The Athlete Who Thinks Like A Founder

Annijke Wade became an adaptive mountain biker in 2021 after a downhill accident left her with a spinal cord injury. Four years later, she's racing at events like SBT Gravel and Sea Otter Classic, running a nonprofit called Dirt Bound that develops para athletes, building a content strategy sophisticated enough to land her in a Meta Creator program, and already planning for goals she can't quite reveal yet for 2027 and 2028. In this conversation, Annijke and Aaron dig into what's changed in adaptive mountain biking over the last five years, how she thinks about building a career that doesn't depend on race results or viral moments, and what it actually takes to convince race organizers to include para athletes. They also get into her content strategy — from 822 followers to 10,000, the loop format, and working with Meta on creator growth — and what brands should look for when building long-term athlete partnerships. Show Notes: Annijke Wade: https://www.instagram.com/geodesicdome/ Bowhead Bikes: https://www.bowheadcorp.com/ Martyn Ashton: https://www.instagram.com/martynashton/ Rideable Now: https://www.rideablenow.com/ Rebecca's Private Idaho: https://www.rebeccasprivateidaho.com/ Annijke's Shreddit Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE8_RpvGO6c Dirt Bound: https://www.dirtboundcycling.com/ Dialed Creator Program: https://www.skool.com/dialedcreator/about BPC - Brand, Product, Content: Lael Wilcox: https://www.instagram.com/laelwilcox/ Matador - refillable toothpaste: https://www.matadorequipment.com/products/refillable-toothpaste-tubes Ozlo Sleepbuds: https://ozlosleep.com/ TRTL Neckwrap: https://amzn.to/4pVM8Y0 Any One Of Us (Film): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kKJdHMJJJU Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia #podcast #secondnature #outdoor #businesspodcast #outdoorpodcast #industry #athlete #business