EMPOWER NEWS!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rick Scott: 310.306.0375
23 November 2009 greatscottproductions@earthlink.net


Empower Coaching Systems blossoming in autumn

The cycling coaching service adds DeMarchi to the staff; clients won three titles and a heap of U.S. Elite National Track Cycling Championship medals;
Sparks appears on Gatorade’s web series; and Empower becomes a presenting sponsor of a new women’s pro cycling team


While many cyclists slow down during the off-season months, Empower Coaching Systems is blossoming full-speed this fall with a flurry of developments. The nascent cycling coaching service led by Dotsie Bausch and Andy Sparks has added Chris DeMarchi to the coaching staff. Empower athletes won three National Championships and made nine podium appearances at the U.S. Elite National Track Cycling Championships. Sparks was drafted to be a coach on Gatorade’s web series, The Quest For G: The Series. Empower will be the presenting sponsor of a newly formed In Cycle/Time to Track women’s professional cycling team for which Bausch will race in 2010.

Three-time National Road Champion and four-time California State Road Champion DeMarchi has been named coach at Empower by Bausch and Sparks. He has raced for the past 17 years and has a well-rounded background participating in both cycling and triathlon. A graduate of Cal Poly Pomona where he founded the first mountain bike racing team for the university in 1992 and served as president of the road racing team, DeMarchi brings his expertise, passion, dedication and winning drive to Empower where he can harness his experience from racing and apply it directly to coaching to motivate athletes to realize their true potential. As an Empower client during the 2009 season, he rode to his best season yet. His faith in Empower’s methodology fueled his desire to join the coaching staff.

Bausch said, "We are delighted to add Chris to our roster of coaches. He is a one-of-a-kind guy, and everyone who meets him is inspired by the infectious spirit he has for sport and his infrangible mental ability."

“It’s a thrill to coach athletes under a program that truly believes in developing their athletes and helping them reach the next level. The Empower coaches have decades of racing and training experience, which is something that can’t be learned in a classroom,” said DeMarchi. “Empower provides a ‘wrap around approach,” meaning every one of our athletes has the opportunity to develop under multiple coaches, which is unique. I’m excited about working closely and sharing knowledge with Dotsie and Andy as a member of the Empower coaching staff.”

At the U.S. Elite National Track Cycling Championships held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California (September 30-October 4), Empower athletes shined, but none brighter than two-time World Champion and Olympian Sarah Hammer, who won National Championships in the Individual Pursuit, the Points Race, and the Team Pursuit, the latter of which she teamed with Bausch. Hammer’s 3-kilometer pursuit time was a track record and the fastest ever ridden by a female on U.S. soil. Along with her gold medal in the Team Pursuit, Bausch also picked up a silver medal in the Individual Pursuit. Newcomer Jake Duehring scored silver in the International Omnium in his very first elite track cycling meet to go along with a 4th place finish in the Scratch Race. Junior rider Shelby Reynolds aced a pair of 4th place finishes in the Women’s Scratch Race and the Keirin, which earned her the distinction of being the top Junior rider at the Elite National Championships.

"The U.S. Elite National Track Cycling Championships is the premier track race in the country and we’re ecstatic to see Empower athletes achieve nine podium appearances. A great showing at Track Nationals is the high point of any rider’s season. Our athletes not only achieved their respective goals, they demolished them,” enthused Sparks.

Sparks was tapped to be a coach on Gatorade’s online reality show, The Quest For G: The Series, which can be viewed on the Mission G website (www.missiong.com). Eight athletes from various sporting disciplines were selected based upon their potential to live in a house and train with the best coaches in their respective sports in their quest to one day become champions and Olympians. Sparks is coaching New York City bike messenger-turned track cyclist Alex Farioletti.

"We’re not only excited for Empower to be a component in this world-class The Quest for G project, but we’re also pleased to add Gatorade to the list of world-leading organizations that rely upon Empower Coaching Systems to achieve their cycling goals," stated Sparks.

A team created by women, for women based in Southern California, the In Cycle/Time To Track presented by Empower Coaching Systems squad will compete nationally. The program will focus on personal development, tactical and technical aspects of bike racing and mentorship by creating a nurturing environment for the athletes. Bausch, who enjoyed racing this past season as a mentor on the New Zealand-based Jazz Apple pro unit, is jazzed about serving as a leader on the new team.

“Empower Coaching Systems is proud to help build a premiere women's racing program that will be something quite special. Our vision is to create a ground-breaking approach in the development of elite women cyclists. Our veteran riders have over 25 years of combined professional racing experience and have earned seven national titles and a gold and bronze medal at the Pan American Championships. We know what it takes to get to the top while having fun, giving back to others, and encouraging people to become their best,” concluded Bausch.


About Empower Coaching Systems:

Launched last March in a partnership between Bausch and Sparks, Empower Coaching Systems creates customized training programs for cyclists of all abilities – from professionals, Olympians, World Champions and National Champions to amateur racers, weekend warriors and newbies. Each athlete coached by Empower has access to all the coaches on staff, not just one, which provides a unique fusion of guidance specifically tailored to the individual rooted in fostering the development of mind and body symmetry that can be applied both on and off the bike. Empower strives to provide the highest quality of service no matter what level the athlete rides in the belief that everyone should have access to Olympic-level coaching to aid in reaching their full potential. Driven to watch their clients achieve their goals, Empower aims to establish the premiere standard of coaching services in the cycling industry. In addition to the innovative physical training regimen they will design as part of each client’s Victory Plan, their methodology includes focusing on sports psychology and meditation.

5th Annual Women's Training Camp - Santa Barbara, CA

Join one of America's top professional cyclists, Dotsie Bausch, and the staff of Revolution Coaching for an unforgettable week of training in the beautiful Santa Barbara Wine Country. Whether you are a recreational rider, new to racing, or a seasoned veteran, this camp will take you further than you dreamed possible.


We focus on the unique aspects of cycling and training from the female perspective. Our small staff to camper ratio ensures you will receive INDIVIDUALIZED instruction while gaining skill and confidence in group riding dynamics. The coaching staff of Dostie Bausch, Jill Gass, Lisa Tonello, and Sonia Ross has 70+ combined years of riding and racing experience they can't wait to share with you. Read more about the coaches

Our daily training rides will focus on group and individual riding skills, climbing/descending, time trialing, and sprinting. All rides are fully supported. Daily lectures topics will include information on the latest training techniques, nutrition, mental toughness, strength and flexibility training, injury prevention, and bike mechanic basics.........all tailored to the female aspect of the sport.

Plan to check-in November 1, 2:00 for orientation, bike checks, meet and greet dinner, and wine tasting. Checkout is November 7 12:00, when we end with a group hug, and you depart a new and improved athlete, ready to tackle any challenge.


OUR ALL INCLUSIVE, FULL SUPPORTED PACKAGE:

* Epic 3-5 hour fully supported training rides


* Hands on instruction in group riding, race tactics and more!


* Expert guest speakers covering a variety of cycling topics


* Six nights lodging at the historic Skyview Inn in Los Alamos


* All meals, including dinners at some of the areas premier restaurants


* One hour massage (Additional massages available at extra charge).


* Full mechanical support


* Five Star Sovigneur ride support (Our Mary will spoil you for life!)


* Kalyra Winery tour


* More FUN than you’ve had on your bike in a long time—maybe ever!

C O S T
$2,295.00 double occupancy
--5% discount to ALL Camp Alumni, and anyone that brings a
friend or teammate to camp with them!
--Full payment due thirty days before start of camp


Limited to 12 participants. Coaching staff ratio 1 to 2-3 riders.


R E S E R V E Y O U R S P A C E T O D A Y!
Email: dotsie@empowercoachingsystems.com

August Empower Athlete of the Month: Scott Stern

August's Empower Athlete of the Month is 16 year old junior, Scott Stern! He has been chosen for his consistent dedication to being at his best, his unwavering perseverance, his work ethic and for being motivated and determined after a recent disappointment. How an athlete mentally deals with a disappointing result or a big defeat is what separates the great from the good. Scott attended USA Cycling's talent id camp last month in Colorado. He was prepared and focused going into this camp. He was ready to rip some legs off! He was one of the top 16 year olds and came in 6th out of his division after the time trial tests they held at camp. They took the top 5 to Belgium this month for racing. SO close!
Racing in Belgium is one of Scott's goals, but Scott did not let this derail his focus and desire to be a great bike racer. He came home and used that disappointment to train even harder and race even smarter, and in his next 2 races made it on the podium in both! The way he took the bull by the horns and came out with two great results immediately after that disappointment is what champions are made of! Scott was resilient and resiliency is a big key to continuing success in life and in cycling at a competitive level. Scott has a very bright future in bike racing. Don't be surprised if you see him in the green jersey in the Tour de France in 8 or 9 years!


ECS: What motivates you to train so hard and stay so focused on a daily basis when no one is watching?

SS: Knowing that all of the hard work I put into my training schedule will pay off by getting great results.

ECS: What do you like best about your Empower Coaching Systems Coach?

SS: Dotsie is not only someone who just gives you a training plan and that's it, she also educates all of her clients on traveling tips, correct nutrition, recovery, tactics, and one of the most important parts of being an excellent cyclist is the mental aspect of training and racing.

ECS: What prank would you play on your coach if you could do anything you wanted?

SS: Before a ride when my coach is not looking I would take the tube out of the tire and put the tire back making it impossible to ride on.

ECS: When you get your monthly Empower coaching Schedule, what do you look forward to seeing on it the most and what do you look forward to the least?

SS: The thing I look forward to the most on my monthly schedule is to see how I will be ramping my training up for a specific race and seeing those long hard group rides throughout the month. There is nothing I dislike about my training schedule because I know everything that is on there will make me a stronger rider.

ECS:: Any advice you have for a new rider beginning with Empower Coaching Systems?

SS: Listen to your coach no matter what they say, stick to your schedule, and always be in communication with your coach.

ECS: What are your goals for 2009 and in 2010?

SS:My goals for the rest of the season are podium at states road race and podium at states time trial. For 2010 my goals are the US National Team, top 10 at Red River Gorge stage race, and top 10 at Soto classic.

Jazz Apples Duvnjak and Bausch Sweep Whiterock - Canada 20 Jul, 2009

Jazz Apples Dotsie Bausch took the final stage of the Tour de Whiterock in an emphatic solo victory today while Duvnjak won the kick to secure the top two spots in stage and the overall. Half way through, Bausch confided in Pryde that she felt that she was floating on her pedals and was at the ready for a launch for a team mate. While Basuch swept all the QOM points, Pryde then launched Bausch with two laps remaining who went to a sole victory. Olympian and Webcor rider, Erinne Willock initiated a furious chase and onslaught of attacks but Duvnjak checked her every move. In the final advance for the line, Duvnjak stormed up the finish hill ahead of the six remaining chasers to steal second prize. Her second place determined Marina as the clear winner of the overall Tour, and a stand out perfomer in the BC Superweek Series.
On stage, Duvnjak took a moment to humbly complement the competition and praise the swelling crowds for their incredible support throughout the racing in true professional style.

New Zealand’s Jazz Apple dominate Tour de White Rock Road Race (taken from www.canadiancyclist.com)

The women’s race, which consisted of eight laps around the larger – but no less grueling – 10.1 kilometer circuit.

After staying together most of the race, Jazz Apple’s Dotsie Bausch, a two-time US National champion who won the Hillclimb Friday, broke away in the third-to-last lap, and quickly opened up a 30-second gap.

Bausch finished in two hours, 33 minutes and 13.30 seconds, almost two minutes ahead of teammate Marina Duvnjka, who won a sprint for second just ahead of Amy Herlinveaux of the local Trek Red Truck Racing team.

Knowing Duvnjak was behind her – not to mention several others from a dominant Jazz Apple squad – made it easier for Bausch to attack early, especially with Duvnjak marking Canadian Olympian Erinne Willock.

“I have 100 per cent trust in those girls and Marina’s whole job was to sit right on Erinne, which is a compliment to Erinne because no doubt that she was the one we needed to watch her to win the bike race,” said Bausch, who marked Willock as Duvnjak won Saturday’s criterium.

“If I was by myself at this race I wouldn’t feel confident in going 100 per cent at that point because if you get caught you have no more bullets.”

As a team, the New Zealand based Jazz Apple had plenty left in the gun.

Duvnjak, who was also second to Bausch in the Hillclimb Friday, won the Tour de White Rock Omnium, or overall, title. Bausch was second.

“We just felt really good today and wanted to try and get first and second in the overall so we just went for it, and we were just feeding off each other so well,” said Bausch, who at 36 showed she can be more than just a mentor to the young development squad. “I was confident in them, so if I blew up I knew Marina was right on Erinne and then she would go.”

For Willock, who didn’t have any teammates from her Webcor Builders Pro team on hand, it was frustrating being a target. But the Olympian also knows it’s good for cycling in BC and Canada to have Jazz Apple here.

“They’re marking me and it’s a compliment, that’s bike racing,” Willock said. “It’s awesome to have a big team here. They race pro and other riders learn the race tactics and learn the race etiquette and they say ‘OK, I have to go home and do a lot of training because that was hard.”

Road Masters National Championships

Louisville native Dotsie Bausch a winner in the human race
BY C. RAY HALL •COURIER-JOURNAL • JULY 3, 2009

Dotsie Bausch left Louisville for college nearly 20 years ago. She came back this week to compete — triumphantly — in the sport that helped save her life.

Bausch won both her races in the USA Cycling Road Masters National Championships. When she crossed the finish line of Thursday's 25-mile race in the Churchill Downs infield, Bausch pumped her fist with more gusto than usual.

"Redemption," she said of fighting through an occasionally frustrating race. But she could have been talking about her life, which is truly a redemption story.

Before Bausch took up cycling 11 years ago at age 25, the only race she was winning was the one to the grave.

She joined the Villanova University rowing team as a sophomore but tired of the 4:30a.m. wakeup calls and gave up the sport the next year. She kept eating like an athlete, though, and her weight ballooned. So she cut back on food severely, triggering a long struggle with eating disorders.

There was an upside to being thin: She worked as a model in Philadelphia and New York for three years. The downside of this glitzy life was the easy availability of recreational drugs, including cocaine.

Between the eating disorders and the drugs, she said, "It was a big old mess."

She was so deep inside the mess that she couldn't see out. Her parents, Margie and Paul Cowden, saw and tried to help. They eventually got her into an outpatient program for the eating disorders.

Regarding the drug use, she recalled: "I kicked that myself."

Regarding her parents' unwavering effort to help her save herself, she said: "I felt … not deserving. I think that you subconsciously try to push them away, because you don't want them to hurt any more. And I figured that I was not going to make it. … I would eventually die."

Before she could die, she realized this: "The most selfish thing in the world would be to not make it, because of my parents and what they've done."

Over five years, she was treated by four doctors. Despite her difficulties, she functioned well enough to move to Los Angeles and work in television news.

In California, where everything is supposed to start, something ended: Dotsie's fight against food.

"My therapist (Dr.KRS Edstrom) saved my life," Bausch said. "She was really intense. She used a certain type of meditation therapy. I did the work, but she led me there."

Incidentally — or perhaps not — Bausch took up bicycling as she got healthier.

"I decided to just to try cycling as kind of an outlet for part of my healing," she recalled.

Friends invited her to train for an AIDS benefit ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. She eventually became a star in her sport, winning a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Championships.

She has acknowledged she may have traded one addiction for another, cycling.

"I've learned that I have an addictive personality, and I accept myself as I am," she once said. "I have picked a healthy addiction"

She doesn't speak of her former self as a stranger or an enemy.

"That person," she said, "definitely defines a lot of who I am now, taking life one day at a time, enjoying life so much deeper because I know how fragile it is.

"It wasn't too far from near-death. I was really, really sick. And if I had continued on that path, I wouldn't be here anymore."

That young woman who courted death does sound long-ago-and-far-away when her mother speaks.

"I think of Dotsie as full of life," Margie said. "She makes you laugh and glad to be alive."

C. Ray Hall can be reached at (502) 582-4662.



DOROTHY "DOTSIE" BAUSCH ON THE WEB
Age: 36.
Born: Louisville.
Lives: Irvine, Calif.
Education: Ballard High School, Villanova University (communications, philosophy).
Family: Husband, Kirk, also a top-level Masters series racer; parents, Paul and Margie Cowden; sister, Megan Dietzel, president of Dotsie's Internet business, Hibiscus-Sunglasses.com.
Jobs: Coaches 18 cyclists-www.empowercoachingsystems.com; advises New Zealand's professional development cycling team.
High-profile cause: Speaking to audiences around the world about eating disorders, which threatened Bausch's life when she was in her 20s.
In former lives: Rode show horses in Kentucky; modeled in Philadelphia and New York; worked in television in Philadelphia and Los Angeles; produced commercials and music videos.
On the seeming incompatibility of two of her past lives
Philosophy student: "I liked learning to think in a different way.".
Model: "Still, to this day, I really like high design, high fashion, and can really appreciate the artistry to create something that nobody's created before. The designers are artists. (Modeling) didn't seem strange to me. I loved it. I still love the industry and follow it.

Empower's Own Kirk Bausch Rages Through Idaho in the LP200!

Kirk Bausch and his 3 companions, raced their way over 3 mountain passes, through freezing rain and altitudes close to 10,000 feet to compete in the LP200 from Boise to Sun Valley, Idaho last weekend. Their relay team which was comprised of 2 groups of 2 guys, raged through the course in 8 hours and change. Kirk says he needs a few days of recovery worked into his calendar after this epic adventure! This picture is Kirk waiting for his partner to transition.

Bicycle racing has led Bausch to a better life

The Tulsa Tough is just the next challenge for the former model.

Dotsie Bausch got into cycling while working in TV in California.
By JOHN D. FERGUSON World Sports Writer, Tulsa World


Dotsie Bausch has found peace, focus and control in the sport of cycling. The former model spent seven years living a bit out of control fighting eating disorders along with a drug addiction.

However, a move to California in the mid-1990s and a change of careers were a perfect tonic. Bausch also discovered the world of bicycle racing. The healing began in earnest.

Bausch will be part of the Jazz Apple team racing in the fourth Tulsa Tough set for three days beginning Friday night in the Blue Dome District. Saturday's daytime races feature the Brady District and Sunday's finale is set along Riverside Drive and Galveston Street.

Bausch is the first to take responsibility for her life.

She knows her eating disorders began while an undergraduate at Villanova.

Estimates say 5-7 percent of American women suffer from one of the two starving or binge eating disorders at some time during their lives, according to the Medical News Today.

Bausch knows the guilt that comes with those disorders.

But, she is more than healed.

She gives speeches to women on getting help.

"I am super open with it when I speak," Bausch said by telephone from her California home, where Jazz Apple's team spends part of the year before returning to New Zealand. "I am completely recovered and have been for quite a while. There are reasons behind everything. I try to help others navigate through the pain and disease.

"There's lots of shame (connected with the disease). I try to be open and free about it."

Bausch spent 1993-99 suffering while trying to finish school and work.

"Everything changed when I knew I could be totally honest (about the disease)," Bausch said. "Some people go through this for 20 years. It was really bad in the middle for me and working full time as a model in New York. I don't blame the industry. It was all me."

Modeling opened many doors that allowed Bausch to travel and meet great people. But, a drug addiction was part of her daily life, too.

"It was all-consuming," said Bausch. "It's terrible for your system, but I was still functioning."

Things started to turn around when Bausch decided to change careers.

The move to California for the Louisville, Ky., native was another positive step.

She got help and discovered cycling in an unusual way.

Bausch moved to California to be a television production artist.

Her first job was on the set of the pilot for "Dharma & Greg."

When the work was done, items from the set were up for grabs such as old chairs and a mountain bike.

Bausch took the bike.

She wanted to ride and saw flyers for a 600-mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angles to benefit AIDS research

Luckily, she changed the knobby tires on the mountain bike before the ride.

Bausch decided she wanted the sleek road bike.

She got a racing license and suddenly took on road racing.

Bausch is considered one of the best climbers and time trial riders in the women's peloton.

She has an impressive list of podium appearances under her belt, capped off by a bronze medal in the time trial at the 2007 Pan American Championships.

She was a member of the U.S. National Team and won two national titles on the velodrome.

Bausch admits she got into riding late at the age of 26. She helps the younger Jazz Apple members as co-captain, setting the example and helping. She credits Jazz Apple team leaders Susy and Chris Pryde for much inspiration.

"Dotsie has a remarkable outlook on things and despite her busy life, she is naturally a nurturing and very open person who makes time for everyone," said Susy Pryde. "Her self-awareness and honesty also make that experience a genuine one."

Bausch's Web site (tulsaworld.com/empower) is dedicated to building better riders. She summed up eating disorders.

"Bulimia and anorexia still remain somewhat taboo (subjects). It doesn't make sense to people. People understand overeating, but it goes the other way, too. Restraining from eating."

The day Bausch was interviewed, she received an e-mail from a Canadian woman who had been battling eating disorders. Bausch knew the woman and how she almost died.

"This was her five-year anniversary," said Bausch, who will sign autographs with her Jazz Apple teammates at Tulsa's Whole Foods Market at 3:45 p.m. Sunday. "And she is completely healed. Even if she was the only one that I've helped that would be enough. It was so cool for that e-mail to come through today. That was worth it."