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.
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!
Aidan
Howdy, I’m Aidan Bennett, a junior at Archie Williams High School as of 2025! I've been biking for most of my life, and I’m currently a member of the Archie Williams Mountain Bike Team, which I have been on since my freshman year. I currently race cross-country for the mountain bike team and partake in outside competitions like the California Enduro Series and Northstar Downhill Series. I really enjoy spending time outdoors. I love animals, hanging out with friends, and, of course, biking.
I’ve spent several summers as a counselor at Fairfax Cycling Camp, and several more as a camper, so I understand the camp's dynamic very well. As a coach I’m passionate about helping kids progress, and I focus on creating a fun, safe, and supportive environment for them to grow their biking skills. Whether I’m coaching at camp or riding with friends, my top priorities are safety, progressing as a rider, and most importantly, everyone has fun.
Elliott
Hey I'm Elliott! I'm going into my freshman year of college next year, and I've been a counselor at Fairfax Cycling Camp for two years (and one as a CIT). I love mountain biking, and I am an avid member of the Archie Williams Mountain Bike Team.
I'm super excited for camp this summer, and to meet all the incoming campers! 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!
Rowan
Hi, I am in my first year of college at UCSC. 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 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 knowledgeable of the trails in our area. Something I really like about camp is how much fun it is and the feeling of belonging, no matter what your skill level!
Adrian
Hello! I’m Adrian. I’m excited to be a counselor for Fairfax Cycling Camp after 4 summers of being a camper and then a CIT. This camp and the counselors here fueled my passion for biking and taking care of our trails. Now I race for the Terra Linda Mountain Bike Team and love to ride all over Marin.
Charlotte
Hi, I’m Charlotte. I am going into my junior year at Tam High and I race for the Tam High MTB Team. I’ve loved biking and have been biking since a little kid. I love being outdoors, animals and hiking, basically anything that gets me outside.
I’ve been a riding with Emile since 8th grade and was a counselor for him last summer as well. I love connecting with kids and making them feel comfortable riding. Most importantly I love to help them have fun. I can’t wait to meet everyone.
Greta
Hi I’m Greta, a rising junior on the Tam High MTB team. Through bike racing, I have found an amazing community and passion for riding and nature, which I hope to pass on to new riders. I was a counselor for Emile last year. I enjoyed watching riders build their skills and self confidence in a supportive and fun environment. I look forward to continuing this summer.
I have been the only girl biker in a group so many times, which has made me especially passionate about inspiring and encouraging the next generation of female rippers. I am proud to coach an all girls group and work towards making the MTB community more inclusive.
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!
Shota
Hello, I’m Shota and I am going into my sophomore year at Terra Linda High School. During the school year I am part of the Terra Linda Mountain Bike team and race NICA. My favorite parts about mountain biking are, meeting new people, traveling to new places, and spending time with friends. This will be my fifth summer coming to camp and every year it is one of the highlights of my summer. This is my first year as a counselor and I am excited to help out at camp. I have been mountain biking for seven years but coming to camp is what really got me into riding. Camp is such good way to improve your riding, meet new people and have fun.
Kenta
Hi, I’m Kenta, I’m going into my sophomore year at Terra Linda High School. This will be my 5th year at Fairfax Cycling Camp, and it is one of my favorite parts about summer. This will be my first year as a counselor, and I am looking forward to it.
Mountain biking is my favorite thing to do in my free time, and I ride whenever I can. Some of my favorite aspects are the amazing views, the exercise, and the fun descents. I’ve been riding bikes since elementary school, but really started in middle school. I think going to camp really started getting me into mountain biking because of all the fun experiences at camp, as well as the skill-building. I race for the Terra Linda High MTB team for cross country racing, but I also like to race enduro in the summer.
Calin
Hi! My name is Calin, and I’ve just graduated from Marin Academy High School. I love mountain biking, and Fairfax Cycling Camp is one of the biggest reasons why. This camp fosters such a great environment to learn mountain biking skills in, and I’m looking forward to contributing to this environment in my second year as a counselor!
Zosia
Hi! My name is Zosia and I am a rising junior at Head-Royce School in Oakland. I’ve been riding for most of my life and love everything about being out on the trails. I was a camper at Fairfax Cycling Camp for 3 years and I am very excited to be coming back as a counselor this year! Being a camper at this camp was one of my favorite parts of the summer. It was overall a great experience where I was able to meet new people, make great friends, and build my biking skills. I’m looking forward to helping other campers have that same amazing experience this summer!
Jacob
Het all! My name is Jacob. I am a soon to be graduate of Tam High, and I have been riding with Emile since 6th grade. I’m currently a varsity rider for the Tam High MTB team, where I’ve participated all four years of high school.
When I’m not riding my bike, you can find me volunteering with Marin County Search and Rescue or relaxing on the beach. I’m super excited to meet all of the returning and new riders and I’m stoked for another awesome summer!