por Gabriela Hydle
Gabriela Hydle is a proud Mayan Guatemalan woman, outdoor advocate, and the Chief Director of Programs at Americas for Conservation and the Arts (AFCA). Her journey into the world of outdoor recreation didn’t begin in childhood or through traditional pathways; it began with a single mountain bike ride that reshaped her life. Growing up without access to outdoor adventure or cycling culture, she never saw herself reflected in those spaces. But that first ride opened a door to strength, resilience, and self-discovery that would come to define both her personal path and her professional mission.
Since then, she has explored nearly every cycling discipline: gravel, downhill, fat biking, bikepacking, and road, each one teaching her lessons in patience, focus, and trust. Her journey led her to become, possibly, the first Guatemalan to earn a BICP Level 1 mountain bike instructor certification, a milestone not only of personal growth but of representation in a space where Indigenous, immigrant, and brown bodies are still too often invisible.
At AFCA, she leads with intention, developing programs rooted in environmental justice, cultural preservation, and equitable access to the outdoors. Her work bridges traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary conservation practices, and includes bilingual workshops, youth mentorship, and multi-state collaborations that center on underrepresented communities. She also brings this commitment to grassroots spaces such as supporting Spanish-language bike mechanic classes for Latinas, where bikes become tools of empowerment, connection, and identity.
Beyond biking, she recently learned how to ski, a sport she never imagined trying, especially not as an adult. Skiing was unfamiliar, intimidating, and way outside her comfort zone. But like biking, it taught her that fear can be a teacher and that growth often lives just on the other side of discomfort. Every time she shows up for something new, she reminds herself: I belong here, too. She is expanding her movement practice through a 200-hour yoga teacher training and training for her first relay Ironman (iron person), constantly seeking growth, even in discomfort. Whether on a bike, on skis, or on a yoga mat, she believes movement is a form of healing and resistance.
Her mission is clear: to make the outdoors a more inclusive, transformative space. She rides and leads for those who haven’t yet seen themselves in these landscapes, so they, too, can know they belong.
Gabriela is also a volunteer Outings Leader with Latino Outdoors Colorado. Her favorite part about leading is seeing people discover nature for the first time or when we are all outside sharing with their families or friends and the moment they realize that the outdoors can be for them, too. It’s a privilege to be part of this adventure, where Latinx families come together, share stories, and build confidence in wild spaces where they’ve not always felt seen.