Tere
“Any woman giving it their best, working hard for what they believe and what they want, is my hero; because it takes a lot of courage to go after what you want.”
Tere is an optimistic adventure-seeker, as well as an enduro and big trail rider, who enjoys living outside the confines of her comfort zone. In this sport, she is helping to provide visibility and inclusivity for women, even organizing clinics to help girls learn the basics of operating a bike. She is a goal-setter with a competitive edge, who approaches each challenge as an opportunity to better herself. She believes that during times of uncertainty, it is important to always embrace change and venture into unexplored territory with fortitude. Meet Tere. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
T: Hi everybody! I am Teresita Rivas but, everyone calls me Tere. I live in this incredible piece of heaven called Costa Rica, a tiny place in the middle of the American continent.
K: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
T: I am a free-spirited person who loves traveling, motorcycles, nature, food, and dogs. I studied computer science which means, I am always trying to understand why everything works the way it does. I am an easygoing person who always tries to understand other points of views and I am a firm believer that the universe always returns what you give.
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
T: That every day I believe more and more in myself. I've accomplished so many things I thought were impossible, that I truly believe I am capable of anything, if I am willing to put in the work and effort needed.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
T: I've had several... the last one being ending my relationship of more than 21 years and being by myself for the first time in like, forever. I believe that we, as women, have been taught to conform and be thankful for what we have, even if we are not happy or it is not 100% what we want. If something is not broken or if there is no conflict or nothing bad happening, then we should just be thankful and accept it for what it is, we are not taught to be ambitious...
It’s hard to leave our comfort zones and not have any certainty of what we want, but that's fine. We don't need to have everything figured out. If we believe in our decisions and we are honest with ourselves, we can discover what we want little by little, day by day. It’s not going to be easy, some days we will feel on top of the world and other days, we will feel that just waking up is too much work, but that's just the beauty of life, and one must learn to navigate those ups and downs.
K: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
T: To not believe every mean thing people say to you, that what other people tell you says more about themselves and how they feel with themselves, than about you. The way people treat you is always a reflection of their inner problems and situations and has nothing to do with you.
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
T: Being a woman means to be whatever we want to be, to fight for what we want and to believe in ourselves. We can be supportive, kind, competitive or ambitious; we can like pink or green or the whole rainbow, we don't need to fit on any pre-defined box, there is no box.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
T: Any woman giving it their best, working hard for what they believe and what they want, is my hero; because it takes a lot of courage to go after what you want.
