By Amanda Duncan, Wood County Now. Published on April 29, 2021, at 11:15 a.m.
On Saturday, May 22, the Mineola Nature Preserve will be flooded with women participating in the 2021 Diva Du, a duathlon aimed at empowering women to reach outside their comfort zone and go beyond their fears.
Diva Du begins with a 1.5 mile run/walk before moving to a 10 mile bike, and ending with another 1.5 mile run/walk. The event, organized by CrossFitter and ITRI365 Event Producer Meredith Massey Bryans, is beginner friendly and for women only.
In a YouTube video, Bryans says the event is a safe place for women to do something they’ve never done before with experienced cyclists and trainers there to encourage and cheer them on.
“This is about you finding a sport, you finding an activity that pushes you to your limits, that makes you scared, that forces you to think about what is holding you back from going after your dreams.”
Bryans continued by saying that ladies want to be adventure seekers, but that they’re usually too hard on themselves, and don’t run after the thrill because of fear. Afraid or not, she wants women to “du” it anyway.
While the event is not just about competition, there will be an awards ceremony at the Mineola Nature Preserve Pavilion to award those who have trained hard and finished the course. Afterward, an after-party will be held at the Grand Oaks Winery, near the Nature Preserve, from 4-8 p.m.
In years past, the event was done in Tyler, with the after-party being held at Kiepersol; but this year, Mineola Councilwoman Jayne Lankford worked closely with Bryans to bring this event to the Mineola Nature Preserve and the Grand Oaks Winery.
Lankford participated in the first Diva Du event four years, and said she knew this was an event that needed to be in Mineola. The Mineola Nature Preserve has 20 miles of biking, walking, hiking and equestrian trails on almost 3000 acres, and with the Grand Oaks Winery being right down the road from the Preserve, the location was a no-brainer for such an event. Additionally, the East Texas Council of Government shuttle has agreed to shuttle participants back and forth from the preserve to the winery.
Usually, the event draws more than 350 women from all across Texas and Louisiana, but this year, because of COVID-19, participants will be capped at 200. Early registration is encouraged, and can be done by visiting https://www.active.com/mineola-tx/running/distance-running-races/the-diva-du-2021?_ga=2.222120088.1642159190.1619662640-66324875.1619662640.
Follow Diva Du at https://www.facebook.com/thedivadu for updates.