Remembering Paula

Well known and very active bike racer Paula Higgins was struck by a car on June 17th and succumbed to her injuries shortly thereafter. These messages will be viewed by her family and friends. Feel free to post your thoughts and memories of Paula.

When I first met Paula in the late 80's I was new to bike racing and very intimidated and intrigued by her.She was the fastest woman on two wheels I had ever seen, and I wanted to beat her. Needless to say I never did. But Paula came up to me after a Thursday night TT and told me that I had a good ride. Boy I thought I was on top of the world she noticed my time and thought I rode well. I had a short racing career but I kept cycling and would see Paula and Jerry along the bike paths and different events. Later we became somewhat neighbors and would wave and BS about racing and bikes. I know we are all going to miss her smile and he friendly hello. Albuquerque cycling won't be the same without Paula. Sharon

Paula was a great person and awesome teammate. I had the honor and pleasure to race with her for the past 4 years with Landis/Trek/VW. She is one of the most giving riders I have had the opportunity to witness. She would do anything for her teammates and for that we are all grateful. She never hesitated -- the breakaway artist! To you Paula! I will miss you dearly and will hold onto your memory forever! You were one of the best! Maggie

I was very shaken up to learn of Paula's passing. She and Jerry have been such a staple of the NM bike racing scene, and have always been extremely supportive of me and other people getting started in the sport. Paula always had an encouraging word and a great attitude, and she clearly led by example. She was a TOUGH, hard-working bike racer who very obviously enjoyed this grueling sport. I am grateful to have known Paula, and will miss seeing her every weekend.

Our best thoughts from France . We sincerely are with you. I raced with Paula. I remember her as a nice girl. Friendly Jeannie

We feel so fortunate to have know Paula. I spent some time racing and traveling with her a few years ago. She had such a great attitude towards cycling and those who rode. She was so intellegent, determined, strong and kind. She was an amazing woman. Paula, thanks for all the great miles and good times, I cherish them dearly. Jerry,you will always be in our thoughts as you were always by her side- giving support to her and all of us. Aimee & Gareth Jones

What I remember most about Paula is her passion about time trials. Paula was active in time trials for as long as I can remember putting them on and participating—way back in the mid 1980s, particularly on the Double Eagle. For many years I would go out to the DE early Saturday mornings to train, and I can’t count the times that I would start my warm-up and see a small figure coming in over the horizon of the first climb, and that would invariably be Paula-- already coming in from her ride. She was very focused, dedicated and probably did every TT out there over twenty years. My wife Alida and I send our condolences to you Jerry for your loss.

About 4 years ago Paula asked me (the day we were doing our solo efforts) to be her tandem partner in the Record Challenge (on the second day). I was really honored to team up with such a talented cyclist, especially considering that I had never ridden a tandem (that was very trusting of her). We rode an excellent ride of 51:24, I think it was her fastest tandem ride. What always struck me about Paula was her unassuming ways. I'm sorry for the loss of this wonderful person in our community.

I was shocked and saddened by this news. Paula was great to race with, a calming, steady influence in the pack (especailly since master's women are usually racing with the 4's). I will really miss seeing her long, black braid ride away from me on the hills! A huge loss to both AZ and NM cycling.

As I think back, the memories of Paula cascade from my mind to and through my heart. Selfishly I regret her passing and not being able to laugh together and poke fun at one another any longer. However, she leaves and enduring legacy and my grand friend and her loving mate Jerry - with whom we can still share moments of pleasure and grand times into the future. I will miss Paula's engaging smile most of all - so long my beautiful friend. We will ride together again if I am lucky enough to join you in heaven. Bob Coleman

It goes without saying how shocked and saddended I was to learn of Paula's passing on Tuesday morning. My first thought was how could this be, "I just saw her on Sunday at the race." We have lost another great person in not only the Cycling community but also the community as a whole. Like I mentioned to in an email to the list-serve, Paula and Jerry came to the cycling family back in 1983. Like many of us who started riding Paula did it because there was some thing in bike riding that appealed to her. When Paula started she was not the fastest person out there, but I think I can say that she had the most passion. She would often be up early or out rather late getting a training ride in. Paula always worked on her form as she knew being efficient was the best way to ride. The Paula that had we got to know in the in these later years was a very polished version of the one who came out to her first group ride in 1983. To say that Paula worked harder than the rest of us us is a huge understatement. Of course it showed. Tactically she was very savvy, she could hold her own in virtually any field. The levels of her experience is definately understated by Jeannie Longo's post above. To have some one who is a multi-time World Champion who lives an ocean away post on a passed friend says volumes. Paula's passion on the bike was the time trial. She was instrumental in getting the Moriarity course certified for National records. She promoted Time Trials. To be honest I don't think she ever missed a Record Challenge Time Trial. Infact I think it might be appropriate to re-name the Record Challenge-"The Paula Higgins Memorial Record Challenge Time Trial." Paula will be missed by many at various Arizona and New Mexico races as well as at Masters Nationals. Not to mention by all of us here in New Mexico who felt like she was a long lost sister in so many ways. Jerry all of out thoughts go out to you in this difficult time. Though we can talk all we want to about her passion for bicycling but really, her passion was you!

My wife Jacky and I first got to know Paula when she and Jerry joined us on a boat charter to the BVI. I had known and befriended Jerry through work and through our common bicycling interest, and it was fun to meet Paula and become friends with her. She was always interesting and fun, and I know she loved both bicycling and Jerry. She leaves a void, and Jerry, I hope you will survive this terrible blow. Our thoughts are with you.

My heart sank when I learned of Paula's death -- actually, it was like the wind just went out of me. Paula and I met in 1984 when I joined the cycling community. She was generous with her knowledge and experience and was always steady and dependable. Her devotion to both cycling and Jerry was inspiring and as the years passed, I was pleased to learn of her successes on the bike and of the enduring depth of her marriage. Jerry, I cannot imagine the pain of your loss nor the magnitude of her absence. I hope that you will find peace in knowing how loved and respected Paula has always been. Michelle Loftus Collins

We lost one of the truly special people when we lost Paula on Monday. I met her through cycling and had the privilege of riding tandem with her on more than one occasion, but she was so much more than a cyclist. She was one of the most genuine, kind and honorable people to have touched my life. I will miss her hugs, her smile, her encouragement and the kitty stories we shared. I think I'll take the tandem out solo for a "Missing Stoker" ride in her memory this weekend. Love you, Paula! And, miss you already. Julie

I am very saddened to hear of Paula's death. I met her in 1985 when I started to race, and she was one of those "rocks" ...solid and true. I will miss her as a competitor- one of the best, and a better examle of sportsmanship does not exist. Condolences to her family and closest friends--Peace and Love, Amy Vinik

Paula and I lived close to each other in NE Albuquerque and every now and then we'd see each other on the bike path during the daily commute. The last time we spoke was at the State Criterium Championships earlier this month. Long after her race was over, she made a point to come up to the registration area to personally thank me and my teammates at NMSW for putting on the event. It was a kind, sincere gesture and speaks to what what kind of person she was. The many hundreds who attended her memorial service today surely knew this too. She is gone but will never be forgotten. Mike Hasselbeck

Whether we worked together or she was out to rip my legs off, I always looked forward to racing with Paula. As others have said, she was (almost) always kind and encouraging to new racers. But I have to admit I admired her more for her strength, her finesse, her relentlessness, her strategic insight (Paula, I swear, next time we race, whenever that might be, I WILL try to use my brain instead of going off all half-cocked), her very cool time trial equipment, and her general ability to put the hurt on the pack. Paula was the first road bike racer I met when I started in 2001. That's not accidental-- she was very outgoing and I was somewhat transparently pretending I knew what a time trial was. She taught me my first lessons about getting spanked in a variety of different bike disciplines. I feel blessed for having known her since my beginning in this sport, because to me she will always represent the best of New Mexico cycling. Wherever you end up, Paula, go easy on 'em. But not too easy. We'll miss you around here.

From El Paso, my deepest sympathies go out to Paula's family and close friends. She is such a huge voice in the women's cycling community - I'm realizing that now. I learned a lot from her just during the races. I admire her strength and perseverence - even if it was to just finish the race . Her win record was quite impressive and being close to her age I truly respect her. It's hard to imagine races without her - I can only guess how you all must feel. She will never be forgotten. I thought I posted a relpy earlier but apparently not. We found out in El Paso only a couple of hours after... that's how strong her presence is in the cycling community. Cathy

My deepest sympathies to Jerry and everyone who lost such a fantastic friend and guiding light. Paula was above and beyond one of the good ones.

Dear Cyclists: I want to thank you all personally for your kind words in tribute and support this past week. Now that things are slowing down, I find myself overcome with grief, and anger and, oh hell, I don't know. It just seems so unfair that my sis' life ended so early. Bless you all. You brought a great deal to her life. And we are all the richer for it. Bruce Higgins

Bless all you cyclists! Paula lives on through you as you race. I may wave at you when we pass on the road. It will be me. Carol, Paula's mom

I only met Paula 2 weeks before her passing. She as I briefly saw was a real super star!!! It goes to show you how sacred life is and that we should be living our fullest life possible reaching for our dreams all the time, as I am sure Paula did through her cycling. What an inspiration to us all.

Robert and I are very sorry that we could not be with Jerry and everyone else at Paula's memorial. I did want to share some of my memories of her.

When I began bike racing at 44, I thought I wanted a sport where I could train alone yet compete against others and of course I really loved the bike. However, I didn't make much progress on my own, so I started to do the group rides. This is where I first met Paula, Carolyn, Jennifer, Rod and John Frey. There were others but these people always come to mind. I never heard them brag or pat themselves on the back about how great they were. They seemed to go out of their way to see how I was doing and give me advice. As new riders joined the group they did the same for them. Of all the group rides in this area it was lucky for me to find this group; I liked these people.

Paula always had a smile and we always had pleasant conversations. I found out from other riders that Paula was a good racer and someone who cared about others. Talking to her, I realized there is a core group of riders that are very committed and concerned for each other. She told me that the sport is too hard to do it all alone. The amount of suffering in training and racing is much more manageable when you network with other cyclists.

When I broke my femur in a bike accident, I was amazed at the support I got from the cycling network. That is when I realized what Paula had been talking about. It did make a big difference in my recovery, helping me to deal with the pain of the injury and of not being able to ride during my recovery.

Jerry, I only knew Paula as a cyclist, but I believe that all the people that are around to support you have had their lives enriched by her, as a sister, daughter or friend. The kindness she had for me as a cyclist is only one example of what she gave to all those in her life.

The following is a story from the best ride I had with Paula. In 2005 Paula, Carolyn and I drove down to White Sands for a century ride. We met others from the Lobo ride. Paula drove and I sat in the back seat so she and Carolyn could talk. I found out that she was very talented in other areas like work, school and other hobbies. About 40 miles into the ride we were going up a 3% grade and the group was going very fast. I came off first, then Paula. I told here "This sucks getting dropped. What are you doing here?" She said "I got dropped too." I told here I didn't believe her because you are a champion. She said "Shut-up and pedal." About a mile later Paula said "Lets trade pulls." to which I replied OK, but don't drop me. When I asked what she was laughing about Paula said "Just pedal." A little while later she said "It is pretty out here." and I replied " I don't know, I'm too busy pedaling." Another laugh. "What's that for?" I asked. "Finally a man that will listen to me." Paula shot back. In the 12 years or so that I knew Paula, I was impressed with how committed she was to her sport, the amount of effort she expended to stay connected with her friends and the ability to keep everything balanced in her life. It is my opinion that some aspects of our lives we can control and some we cannot. There is randomness to disease and death. The choices we make and the people we touch determine how we are remembered. I will always remember Paula warmheartedly.

To all, Thank you all for your caring and support. The many calls, emails, and postings here are making it easier for me at this very difficult time. Special thanks to those of you who took valuable time from your busy schedules to do the tribute ride for Paula at her memorial. The ending procession with the solo tandem, teammates, and long procession of riders was very moving and fitting. Seeing and hearing from riders we hadn't seen in many years has also been wonderful. I'm not much for words, but I thank you all sincerely, and I hope to see you out on the road again before too long. Jerry

Next to Paula, I'm a disorganized sandlot mountain biker, and as a result, I never rode with her. I met Paula in the Computer Science program at UNM. She spread her warmth, humor and encouragement to those of us lucky to work with her or have a class with her. Many times, Paula would tell me that she thought I was smart, right about the time when I thought I wasn't going to get through the program. She was my scientific, parallel, computing buddy. We ran our parallel codes on linux clusters, and like her biking, Paula's codes ran fast. We even benchmarked them like a race, tweeked them, nerded-out, and made them even faster. Many get through on a type of autopilot, but Paula sought to truly understand what she was doing. She was an implementer and a finisher. Her humor and facial expressions got me through hard classes and bad classes. Her appreciation for the professors who helped us finish our degrees couldn't have been stronger. I have so many memories. One halloween we waddled across University to the old Galles building dressed up as the air conditioning units which cool the linux clusters. We had switches, filters, and breasts made from dryer hose. To Paula, we were the "Movin' Cool Chicks". She invited me on a quicky hike once. I thought I was safe, Paula had biking muscles, right? wrong. Immediately I found the pace quite shocking. She glided across the foothills, up the Pino trail to the Crest trail and down Embudo. One heck of a quicky loop! Almost every email she sent, she'd ask how my family was doing and if our "critters" were ok. I've used this word for years now, and last week I consciously thought about where it came from. I want to thank everyone for organizing the wonderful memorial for Paula. I flew back to Tucson, proud to have known Paula and in awe of the number of people that she touched. Jerry, Mark and Tish, you guys are in my thoughts.

I heard of Paula's passing while I was out of town. I have taken a hiatus from the sport this year due to work demands. While I still get a ride in from time to time, and would see the regulars, like Paula, I would wave, say hi and take for granted that they would all be there when I came back to the sport. Paula was the first person to visit me at the hospital when I crashed out of the 2003 state criterium with a broken collarbone. It was surprising to me because, even though we rode together frequently, I never considered us close. Even after racing in NM for the previous 8 years, I didn't understand how close knit a community we are. Paula humbled me that day. We chatted for a while, and I realized that under the "race face" veneer that we are all guilty of, that we care what happens to each other. I never told her how much that visit meant to me, and how it changed my view of the cycling community in general. For the second time this year, a huge hole has been torn in the fabric of our community that can't be stitched. My thoughts are with Paula's family, loved ones and the cycling community. Cameron

I'm deeply saddened to hear of Paula's passing. Paula thank you for all the smiles, laughs and many mile of riding in Albuquerque . You will be missed. Jerry my thoughts and Prayers are with you and your family Jerry Robran Birel29 38924.2709259259

Life and fate are too damn cruel sometimes. I too was touched by Paula's life and example, and shocked and saddened by the news of her death. Here in Colorado we are now struggling with a bad attitude problem among women racers... Paula was the epitomy of the opposite! She encouraged newbies (like me in '90), she worked as a rep, she understood teamwork and tactics. She was unflappable, solid, strong, approachable. I wish more of today's racers were like her... but even more, I wish she were still among us. The news of the solo tandem ride at her memorial made me cry. Alisabeth Thurston-Hicks

I feel very fortunate to have known Paula when living in Albuquerque from 1991-97. Her passing is such a tragedy. It's great to see her honored here and read the messages from her close friends and especially her mother and Jerry. What struck me about Paula was her stoicism, strength and determination. I can't remember how many times I'd see her out training super early. I always so impressed with her drive and dedication. She was certainly a great role model, not only to the numerous female cyclists above, but to all of us. My deepest sympathies, Brij Lunine Santa Cruz, CA

This news is absolutely shocking and incredibly sad. I began bike racing back in the mid-80's and Paula was one of the most supportive people I knew. Always positive and always willing to go out and perform at her best, she was an inspiration. I have been out of New Mexico for a number of years and had not had a chance to talk to Paula again for a long, long time. I am very sad to know that I will not be able to see her smiling face again, but I am glad to have known her. Jim Seely

Rest in Peace Paula......... In a place where the wind is always at your back, and every rider you see sits up and waves...... Mason

Paula, I remember meeting you when I was but a wee junior and you were forming NMBRA. Always a mover and shaker in the NM district. Your spirit of competition and dedication to the sport will be your legacy in my mind. You will be missed by all who were touched by you. Vaughn Van Note Martinez, CA

Wow. I had no idea. It was awfully nice to name the Record Challenge in Paula's honor, and is entirely appropriate. Thoughts and best wishes to Jerry & the NM cycling community. Brian DeBlanc

I haven't been in New Mexico for quite a few years, now, but I have fond memories of all the group rides I did in the 90's. I was shocked and very saddened to learn about both Bill and Paula. On one winter ride in the early 90's, we were in a group coming back from Belen. Carolyn Donnely, Paula and I decided to head back to UNM without stopping for an Allsup's break. I had ridden with her many times before that, but the group was usually too big to get to know her and she and I were both kind of shy. It was nice to get to ride with her and get to know her better in a smaller group where we could chat. She definitely made an impact on the entire NM cycling community

Riding in Tieras canyon this weekend while visiting, I saw the sign and then heard on the news about the bike rally/race that took place in the morning (also heard about it on the TV news). While looking that up on the internet I stumbled upon Paula's name. D**n, what a shock and a shame. No, that doesn't even start to express my grief. Moving from NM several years ago, I regret everytime I return and train on the roads here. I was hit in Santa fe, the driver getting a ticket and paying my hospital bills. It's crazy out there, bad enough in a car. The minute I exit from 550 onto I-25, I enter a war zone. Paula was a great rider.

I have been living in Texas for the last 4 years now and I just learned about Paula's death in an online ABQ journal article...I am shocked by the news. Whether it was the Tuesday night crits or Record Challenge...she was always a hardnosed and tough racer. I first met her whileracing for UNM and working to promote many different races in the area. She was a great cycling advocate and friend to many in the community! I realize it is cliche to say this but imagine in a Phil Ligget voice ..."Well Higgins has broken away from the rest of the pack!" My sincere and belated condolences go out to Jerry and the rest of their families. Paula...ride on.