Story by Emily Robertson
Mountain biking is a sport that some may think only happens in the mountains out west, but one local man is working hard to grow the sport, for both youth and adults, right here in South Central Kentucky. Growing up in the small community of Big Clifty, Kentucky, Scott Duvall never excelled at the traditional sports.
“I was never considered a skilled athlete growing up, but I was determined and I knew how to work hard, so later in life, I’ve thrown myself into hiking, kayaking, caving, mountain biking and hunting,” Duvall says. “Any day outside is a great day.”
Because of those interests, Duvall got involved with coaching youth mountain biking in Warren County in 2018, serving for the last four years as the team director of the Warren County Hollow Riders. The team is a KICL/NICAaffiliated mountain biking team that serves 6th through 12th graders in Warren County and surrounding areas. For the current season, the team consists of 19 riders and nine coaches, both male and female, who train together and then compete.
“Our mission is building stronger minds, bodies and community through crosscountry mountain biking,” Duvall says. “Myself and several other dedicated coaches have taken a large stake in building this team from the ground up and I believe it is a wonderful opportunity for kids who don’t fit the model of traditional sports.”
Another aspect of the team is creating spaces for mountain bikers to train and compete. The team includes the teen trail corp, a group that works to maintain and build new trails in the region. Duvall says the group’s riders have put in many hours of work on trails through partnerships with local organizations. The group has recently built a skills park at Phil Moore Park in Warren County and has more plans for the near future. Also, next year Duvall will serve as the TTC Coordinator for the Kentucky Interscholastic Cycling League and he plans to continue to work to build even more trails throughout the community.
Duvall feels that mountain biking has had such a tremendously positive impact on his family, and he believes that expanding offerings for the sport can be beneficial for the community as a whole. “My family spends a large amount of time throughout the year with mountain biking because we’ve seen the healthy, positive affect it has on the community, the kids on our team and our own family,” Duvall says. “Mountain biking trails have a huge potential to increase health and economic opportunity in the community and I want to be a part of that.”
Duvall credits his wife as being a big supporter of his work with mountain biking, as well as his other hobbies. “The time commitment has been large, and Emily has made it possible in keeping us on track with scheduling and remembering the other important things that I’ve forgotten in pursuit of the team. I can’t imagine the growth of the team happening without her.”
The couple has three sons: their oldest, Rylan, is a junior at the University of Kentucky, their middle son is Owen, a junior at Greenwood High School and their youngest is Oliver, a fourth grader at Foundation Christian Academy. Duvall works full time in technology services with Windstream Communications. The family currently resides on property near Alvaton.
Duvall is quick to say that above his focus on his various hobbies, his priorities lie in his faith in Jesus and his family. “Raising a beautiful family and being married to a wonderful woman for more than 20 years is, no doubt, my greatest accomplishment,” Duvall says. “Being a father and a husband is a full-time job that must be approached with complete respect, and it is my most important job.”
Duvall says his biggest influences in his life are Jesus, his wife, Emily and his parents. “I hope that the words of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul and other Bible writers have influenced my actions and decisions,” Duvall says. “Emily has helped me learn to be more positive and not impulsive, and my Dad has taught me drive and determination. He showed me how to always set goals and my Mom taught me patience, curiosity and service. I’m always impressed when people say a particular author, speaker or personality changed their life, but I was blessed with a wonderful family that showed me love and I didn’t have to look far for a great influence.