Practicing Law…and Play!
Kate Ginsbach on some rad adventure in Alaska!
Kate Ginsbach is hard to keep up with…both on the bike and her whereabouts:) Currently living in Alaska, it seems like anytime I see a post from her pop up, she’s off doing some rad adventure in some epic spot. By day, she’s an attorney with a focus on global health law, pandemic preparedness and human rights. To say she’s had a busy year at work is pretty obvious so I think it’s all the more awesome that she carves out time for play. And, I must say that her variety of play is pretty amazing, too. Kate loves an assortment of cycling disciplines - with a primary focus on MTB and cyclocross, she dabbles in hiking and running and she uses her love of writing to encourage others to add play to their lives. Probably most noteworthy - and something we can all learn from - is that Kate structured her grad school classes around her training schedule for racing Nationals and, when it came time to look for post-grad work, Kate focused on finding a job in a place that would give her great access to the outdoors. Now that’s certainly dedication to Advanced Recess. Seems like we should ask Kate to work on getting more playtime written into the law books! On that note, here’s more with the one and only, Kate Ginsbach…
What do you do for play?
My primary form of play is cycling-- mostly mountain biking but also some cyclocross and I still have the racing bug. Anything from endurance mountain bike races to 40 minute cyclocross races. I also enjoy writing and sharing my experiences through written work so part of my play is maintaining a blog, hoping that my experiences will help others pursue their play.
Are you able to make a living from your version of play?
No, but I have some support through sponsorships for gear but I like not having my pay depended on my performance, like I'll be able to stop when it stops being fun without worrying about my next paycheck.
How does play motivate you in your life?
It has helped steer me in certain directions, I structured my grad school class schedule around being able to race nationals and, when I was looking for post-grad job, I narrowed it down by areas with great outdoor access. Access to play time motivates me to focus on my professional life so that I can fully check-out and recharge when I'm outside.
When you think of your ideal day spent playing, what is it?
I love going into the mountains with friends and starting with a loose plan but having no real expectations of the day just being open to whatever comes your way.
Our motto is Pursue a Life of Play. In your own words, what does this mean to you? How do you live it?
It means being open to saying yes to new experiences and adventures. Allowing myself to take risks that push myself further that I think I can go and realizing it's okay to be scared and do it anyways. I think I live this by usually saying 'yes' and then figuring out the rest later.
Thanks for playing with us, Kate! Keep up the hard work and hard play. Like the photo below illustrates, we know you’ll leave it all out there on the playing field! :)
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