Meet the Crew
Emile
The son and grandson of educators, Emile was born and raised in Ross Valley and West Marin. He has had a life-long involvement in cycling, fostered by his father, who was a cycling journalist in the 1980's, who took Emile as a child to watch the Tour de France (in France!). Shortly after graduating from high school, Emile helped create the storied Drake/Archie Williams mountain bike team, before going on to UC Santa Cruz and graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies. He had considerable success racing on the roads and trails before becoming a coach himself. Emile has been leading after school rides, summer camps, and overnight trips for years. As a proud girl dad to two young girls, both public school students in the Ross Valley School District, Emile has taken a special interest in promoting girls' cycling, and takes particular joy in leading after school rides for his daughter and her friends. Emile is married to an elementary school teacher, so we know his family keeps children's development in mind, even when shredding the gnar! Emile is First Aid and CPR certified.
Mitch
Mitch Brown is in his seventeenth year of teaching at Manor School in Fairfax. He has been an elementary school teacher for nineteen years, and is the proud father of a son and daughter. Prior to elementary teaching, Mitch was a collegiate coach and teacher, two-time NCAA All American runner, and a graduate student of kinesiology (emphasis in teaching and coaching), where he completed all of his MA coursework (ABT). He is a two-time inductee into Humboldt State's Athletic Hall of Fame, and has been an Assistant Coach for the Drake High Mt. Bike Team in 2013, 2019 and 2020. He has been a lifelong road, mountain and BMX rider, and currently rides with Divine Electric, racing whenever he can. Mitch loves teaching kids and having fun playing Capture the Flag, Kingo, and other games. His earliest biking memory is of riding his yellow Schwinn Stingray up and down his street while singing the Happy Days theme song for hours on end. He is the official camp nick name-giver, and is Wilderness First Aid & CPR Certified.
Eileen
As a mother to two, a licensed psychotherapist and creator and leader of Artemis Circle, Eileen brings a special touch to our girls' programs. She is an avid trail runner who rode her bike with an all-women's group across the U.S. 20 years ago to raise money for AIDS education. She is excited to learn and grow as a mountain biker this summer. Eileen is Wilderness First Aid certified.
Carson
Carson Benjamin is a life-long cyclist who grew up in Marin County. He holds a bachelor's degree from University of California, Santa Cruz, and is in his second year of teaching. Carson attended Sir Francis Drake (Archie Williams) High School and got his start in racing with the school’s storied team. Racing was his pursuit for nearly a decade, and he took opportunities to travel the country to some of the most important races in the sport. Besides being versed in racing, Carson has a wealth of experience instructing riders, and was an assistant coach of the Redwood High School mountain bike team from 2017-2019, and head coach of the San Domenico mountain bike team in 2021.
Matt
We are stoked to have Matt Penwell join us for this, his ninth year with FXCC! Matt is an educator and administrator at Marin Primary and Middle School, and a native of Fairfax who grew up riding the local trails with the likes of Myles Rockwell (Mt. Bike World Champion). Since turning to cycling to rehab a knee injury sustained on the Drake (Archie Williams) High soccer team, Matt’s passion for biking has continued to grow. He now shares his joy for mountain biking with his students at Marin Primary and Middle School where he acts as a ride leader for a mountain bike elective class. In addition to Marin Primary and Middle School, where he has worked for nearly twenty years, Matt has also led various camps, such as Marin Surf Camp in Stinson beach. When not riding his bike, Matt can be found playing music at various night clubs throughout the Bay Area. Matt is First Aid/CPR certified. Welcome, Matt!!
Jake
Jake Simon joins us this year for his second summer. He was a natural fit last year, jumping right in and bringing his calm and positive presence to our days. Jake has an MA in Counseling from SSU and has been working as a tutor and mentor with kids in Marin and the Bay Area for the past 10 years. Like Matt, he grew up in Fairfax, and has extensive experience working with kids in the field of education, including getting kids outside surfing, hiking, mountain biking and connecting with themselves and nature.
Meet the counselors
We take care when selecting our counselors as they are a crucial link in a mentorship chain of relationships - we mentor them, and they help mentor the campers. This year we are excited to roll out our newMentorship Training Program, which offers our counselors more extensive and supportive training and opportunities for growth.
Skylar
Hi, I’m Skylar and I have been a counselor for seven years! Mountain biking has been an integral part of my childhood and growth as a person. I raced on the Drake mountain biking team for three years, and have found an amazing community through this sport. I am now attending college at UC Davis, and mountain bike whenever I return on break!
Fairfax Cycling Camp has been a part of my life since its founding, and I help run the business on the off season as well as on the bike. Building a strong community and lasting memories for campers is my top priority. I especially love the awesome girl campers that find strength and confidence through the sport!
Justine
Hey, I'm Justine and I've been a counselor at Fairfax Cycling camp for six years as of 2021! Time flies when you're having fun. I have been mountain biking since middle school, and I raced for the Archie Williams (formerly known as Drake) team. Those four years were filled with such great memories with an amazing community. Now, I'm on the cycling team at University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), and I'm looking forward to the future memories I will make with my new team.
One thing I love about Fairfax Cycling Camp (FXCC) is the inclusivity. In a sport that is mostly composed of guys, I find that it is really important to reach out to young girls to make sure they know that they can do anything these guys can! And everyone who works with FXCC agrees. We do all go the extra mile to ensure girl riders feel welcome, confident and strong!
Aidan
I have been riding bikes for almost all of my life. This led me to the Fairfax Cycling Camp where I have been a counselor for four years. One of the best parts of my summer is seeing the campers having fun while riding bikes. I was a camper not too long ago, and I try to use my experiences as a camper to make myself a better counselor! I think it’s especially important to connect with each camper because even just one friendly conversation can make their summer so much better.
Outside of camp, I have been racing for the San Rafael High School Mountain Biking Team for four years. This year I am the captain of the mountain bike team and I hope to apply the leadership skills that I develop to camp.
Rowan
I am a rising senior at Archie Williams High School. I always enjoyed mountain biking, but I never loved the hills. But during the pandemic I realized how lucky we are to have such incredible mountains on our doorstep.
Since then I have enjoyed biking in my spare time and with the Archie Williams team. I have gone to FXCC since its first year and I am so excited to finally be a counselor because I loved the community! The opportunity to be a counselor allows me to “give back” and hopefully inspire kids to get out there and bike! Along with a love of biking I am CPR certified, and I am very knowledgable of the trails in our area. Something I really like about camp is how much fun it is and the feeling of belonging, not matter what your skill level!
Felix
My name is Felix Shuldiner, I'm 15 years old and was a top 15 freshman racer at Archie Williams High School. I love biking, skiing, and biking! I have a dog, a fish, and a younger brother. My favorite color is blue, my favorite food is purple, and my favorite bike ride is solstice on an XC.
Flynn
I am a sophomore at Archie Williams and mountain biking is one of my favorite parts of my day! It is a way of refreshing my mind after school, hanging out with friends, and even a mode of transportation!
My first formative memory of mountain biking was riding uphill with my dad and feeling like I would never reach the top, or even mountain bike again. But then there was the thrill of going back down and the reward for the climb. Ever since that day I have been hooked! I have been a counselor in training for 2 years and I have been a camper since the first year of Fairfax Cycling camp. I am super excited to be a counselor this year!
Calin
Hi, I’m Calin and I’m a junior at Marin Academy. I’ve been coming to Fairfax Cycling Camp since the pandemic, when I first got into mountain biking, and I’m excited to come back as a counselor this year! I love biking because of how many amazing places it can take you and how each ride can become a bonding experience between you and those you are riding with. I’m also on the Marin Academy mountain bike team.
Going to Fairfax Cycling Camp was an amazing experience when I first got into mountain biking, and I hope I can continue encouraging young riders to push themselves and keep riding!
Elliott
Hi! I'm Elliott, and I am going into junior year at Archie Williams High School (formerly Drake). I have been mountain biking for most of my life, and it still remains my favorite way to spend my free time. Going to Fairfax Cycling Camp over the summer has been a wonderful experience, and I am very excited to be a counselor this summer. I am also a member of the Archie Williams mountain bike team, and we go to bike races all over northern California. The thing I love most about mountain biking is how all of the hard work on the climbs always pays off at the end, with a thrilling descent.
I can attest that Fairfax Cycling Camp is a safe, and supportive environment for young riders, where they can be themselves, and have a great time!