I was fresher at an older age. She never expected to be so successful on a bike. I told them, 'I'm not going to be racing that long. And sponsors weren't falling over themselves to help a no-name. I knew the top American riders, and I don't know anybody who knew about Ann.
Most cyclists live on sponsorship money and, at certain races, appearance fees.
Mountain bike sponsors, weighed down by slow sales in recent years, have been able to support only top riders. Trombley, meanwhile, paid for everything from telephone bills to bicycle and automobile repairs as she gradually reduced her hours at her day job. But as far as bills go, I have to do well in the races. It's been difficult just to pay the bills but that's how I've done it. Her snub by sponsors became a source of motivation.