Ladies Offroad Network Team Podiums 1st ever Artemis Rally
Follow the Adventure & Cheer Us On!
Follow along to Cheer on the Ladies Networks team!
Meet Charlene @ 4WP Charlotte
Thanks to the hospitality of 4WP in Charlotte, come and hang out with the Ladies Offroad Network team on Monday!
Monday June 5th from 4-7pm @ 4WP (4004 South Blvd, Charlotte NC)
Meet Charlene, Marissa & Sheralynn!
Ask your Offroad or Vehicle Questions!
Bring your 4x4 Vehicle and we can Dig In!
Want to Pull Winchline, Play with your Recovery Tools, etc? OK! Let's Do It!
-Casual ~ Drop By ~ Anytime ~ H-ang Out ~ Enjoy Stories ~ Laugh! ~ Pizza compliments of 4WP
If you have questions, please text 480-470-2369, please have patience as we are competing in an event and will reply asap
Congratulations
After a long process, Marissa VanGundy will be the co-driver for the 2023 Artemis Rally in North Carolina
"It was a challenging process to only choose one lady as a co-driver. All of the ladies hosted the skill set to be successful in this competition. In the bigger picture, we were presented with another challenge due to a change of vehicle to the amazing Ruby. This vehicle change put me flying across the country, not driving with my tools etc. Marissa's proximity to drive to the event and bring her arsenal of needs tipped the scales. This will be an interesting story as we get a vehicle that is new to me, an open top and a incredible challenge! Yes, we can!" said Charlene Bower
Sheralynn Clevenger will also be joining the team as our Media Team. Watch our FB and IG pages for constant updates on the adventures of the day.
May 15 Update
The Top 5 Ladies have selected themselves. In a twist of events, 5 RAD Ladies have taken the initiative to be part of the Co-Driver Challenge, a difficult task with a more than a couple items on the punch list to accomplish. "I can not be more proud of these 5 ladies who have put themselves in a position to compete with me at the Artemis Rally. I know them all in different ways, and they are all ultimatly capible. These are the moments I wish I had an endless budget and could create 3 teams!" said Charlene.
Congratulations to:
Caitlyn G., CA
Cherly, S., CA
Jessica C., AZ
Marissa V., OH
Tamika W., WY
Be Charlene's Co-Driver...
Be Charlene's Co-Driver at the Inaugural 4-day Artemis Rally in North Carolina. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of something new, a little wild and a ton of fun...and probably pretty competitive too. This 2023 opportunity mirrors the 2nd event ever for Ladies Offroad Network. Be sure to start with the History Lesson at the bottom of this page for why this is so important...or listen to the LIVE@5!
There will be a process to determining the Co-Driver for the Artemis Rally:
Stay Tuned as we work with the ladies who registered!
About Artemis Rally
Here is the long awaited Artemis Rally! This event is for the adventurous ladies only. The first event of this type on the east coast. Artemis Rally will take participants on a 4-day adventure like never before. This adventure rally will take the teams across western NC to some of the most beautiful territory is the US.
Each of the 4 different basecamps will feature hot showers and clean restrooms and Artemis competitors will be treated to gourmet breakfast and dinners (vegan and vegetarian options will be available ) by our traveling chef. This rally will be open to all types of street legal 4x4 (no side by sides ) Vehicles must carry canoe the entire competition. Mandatory challenges include:
- Navigation - GPS
- Canoeing - Flatwater
- Firearms (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun)
- Archery
- Axe throwing
Optional Bonus challenges may include but not limited to
- Whitewater Rafting -Class 3-4
- Ziplining - Multiple runs
- MTB - Pump track or similar
- Rock Climbing - Human Power
- Paddle Boarding (SUP)
- One Wheel - Motorized
- Swimming
The final night will include a formal dinner and awards ceremony. Prizes for top 3 winning teams. Overlander Project will provide each participant with a helmet (required to be worn at some vehicle special stages , rafting , ziplining, paddle boarding, MTB , rock climbing and one wheel .We provide the tents for the teams (two people per tent ) TEAM MEMBERS will be required to provide ALL personal gear , toiletries , camping gear (OP- provides tents ) first aid kits as well as lunch and snacks. Fuel for vehicles will be the responsibility of the competitors, fuel stops are allowed at any given time during the event.
Valid driver's license, medical card and valid vehicle insurance required.
Cost is $2000 per person / $4000 for a 2 person team
Our 3rd Teammate
We can't be successful without a well prepped vehicle. For this opportunity BFGoodrich Tires has offered the opportunity for us to utilize Brute, a 2014 truck conversion (a JT before JT's were even a thing!)
It has been getting a 'make-over' at John Williams Impulse Offroad shop in Salt Lake City (where Frankie was built also).
I offered to transport it back to the east coast...and asked to keep it for a couple days before actually dropping it off. 🙂
For my history buffs...this is a repeat of the story for the 2016 36 Hours of Uwharrie, but I transported Ruby to the east coast and picked up Kristen on the way!
A Important History Lesson...
Let's roll back the calendar to 2016. I, Charlene, was burnt out on my job, which was my own business Bower Motorsports Media. I was in the 7th year of hustle for BMM, 22 years working in the offroad industry. I couldn't exactly quit myself, but I decided that I wanted to. (Insert long story) While deciding on how to shut my business down, I knew that I couldn't let any of my clients down, so I decided to take the year to finalize my contracts...and in the meantime say YES to opportunities that I would normally say NO to because I was too busy (or whatever excuse I had that time).
Through a series of phone calls (insert long story here) I was given the opportunity to compete in 3 events. Heck Yea! Up to this point, my career had been in multiple roles, but mainly as support, never actually in the competitor seat. To put it gently, I learned in 2016 that I am highly competitive!! LOL!!
Now I had 3 opportunities, all extremely different. Who would be my co-driver, my partner in crime, my adventure buddy? I have a ton of amazing friends and I knew each of them would help put us into a winning position, but that wasn't the answer. I wasn't in it to win it (believe it or not!) I wanted to live and experience the opportunity.
I realized that if I was this burnt out and feeling this way, others were too and I needed to give them as much opportunity as I had to take advantage of these events.
INSE
RT 1st Ladies Co-Driver Challenge circa 2016
It was a wild plan, somewhat crazy with a twist of lime. But to me the plan didn't really matter, because all I thought would enter was 10 ladies...which then we would sort out who had the most vacation time and it would be easy. Yea, not so much.
In an extremely short amount of time 91 Ladies from all over the US and Canada entered to be my co-driver...and like this one...it wasn't "easy" to enter. Thank goodness I had a plan...and it worked! 91 Ladies went to 33; 33 went to 10; 10 got to come on a 4 day all expenses paid trip; then co-drivers were allocated to trips. It was awesome...and exhausting!
That year, with challenge participants, we did Trail of Missions that was a ABC Special, took 2nd in the Pro Class at 36 Hours of Uwharrie, won the 1st annual Rebelle Rally and took 2 ladies to the SEMA Show!!! 2016 Landing Page Yes, apparently I am slightly competitive 🙂
Reminder: I am shutting down my business!
What also happened in the background was an emergence of ladies that wanted to be around other ladies that enjoyed the same hobbies they did. They wanted to support each other. It was pretty amazing.
Just before the end of 2016, as I was finalizing my last contract, I found out that I was nominated for the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Rising Star in the Industry Category! (Insert long story) Sincerely honored...and sincerely confused with how to potentially receive an award...and give the industry my notice of quitting at the same time...I had to make a decision.
My Mom and Dad had watched what had happened over the course of 2016 and in the phone call where I got to tell them about the ORMHOF announcement they agreed that I should focus on the ladies opportunities. I grumbled, just wanted a paycheck with health insurance, and then agreed to give it a one year trial run.
The whole first year was purely research on what ladies wanted and needed.
INSERT: 2017 Ladies Co-Driver Challenge #2 CLICK HERE
We did it again, but a little differently, refining the idea and thoughts from the year before. The events were going on the Rubicon Trail with Achieve Tahoe, a huge media package for the Baja 1000 point-to-point race and podium finishes for our teams at Fury Rode. Another Epic Year.
At the end of 2017, I decided to keep going forward with what had now been officially named Ladies Offroad Network. In 2018 I put together our first nationwide tour stopping at 26 4 Wheel Parts around the country with a 5 hour hands-on class.
INSERT: 2018 Ladies Co-Driver Challenge #3 CLICK HERE
We didn't do competitions as much as huge experiences including Yukon Gear & Axle Garage Experience, the World Championship Off-Road Races at Crandon and Camp RZR at Glamis.
At the end of 2018, my world turned. Everything changed personally and it was time to adjust. For 2019 I decided to go on the road "full time" and stopping at 75 4 Wheel Parts locations around the country delivering my hands-on class.
Because of the education based travel, and no time to add in 3 large adventures, in 2019 I decided to change the layout of the Challenge to 11 Learning Topics for ladies to complete in a set amount of time. It was awesome and well received. The Top 10 Weekend was amazing ~ it was the win for the top points and random draw winners.
2020 & 2021 were a struggle, to say it lightly lol, so 2022 became a time-out year as history repeated itself. Six years into Ladies Offroad Network, with 2 politically aggressive crazy years, and 28 years working in the industry, it was time to mix it up and fill the bucket again.
INSERT Opportunity to Participate in the 2023 Artemis Rally. (It's a long story)
As I was considering who should be my co-driver for this opportunity, a few names came to mind and rumor got out that I was doing it so my phone rang a couple times. But I had to come back to my roots, back to what made the Challenge what it is today and ultimately how Ladies Offroad Network started. Throughout the last 7 years I have been the lucky one getting to take countless ladies on rad experiences, many life changing. We had to create a "new version" of the Ladies Co-Driver Challenge.
And here we sit in 2023. The Challenge is 10 educational projects to complete in 6 months and the Ladies Co-Driver Challenge is back with a twist of lemon!
I am competitive and we will do the best we can every minute of every day, but it is not about winning. There is a special lady that will earn this opportunity to compete alongside me and it could be the week that changes everything.
A Important History Lesson...
The Process:
- Phase 1:
- ____ Available for Artemis Rally June 1-4, but actually March 30-June 5, 2023
- ____ Travel Expenses to/from North Carolina
- ____ Current Ladies Offroad Network Member Click Here
- ____ Participating in 2023 Ladies Offroad Challenge* Click Here
- Submit Intent to Participate and receive Questionnaire: CLICK HERE NOW
- Deadline: Friday April 21
- Phase 2:
- ____ Submit Questionnaire
- ____ Submit 3 Pictures, 1 must be a Head Shot + 2 more having fun offroading or being active doing one of the Artemis Rally activities.
- Deadline: Friday April 21
- ____ Submit First Challenge/Scavenger Hunt
- Deadline: By first month end deadline April 30
- LON Core Panel will review questionnaire and will narrow group to 10
- Phase 3:
- Charlene will coordinate a 2nd panel of past Ladies Co-Driver Challenge event participants!
- ____ The Top 10 ladies will have a 15 minute phone call with the panel!
- Interview Date: Week of May 1
- LON Co-Driver past participant panel will review questionnaire, reflect on the interview process and will narrow group to 5
- Phase 4:
- We are going to go 'old school' and head to social media to help determine the final co-driver.
- The Top 5 Ladies will be recognized on Ladies Offroad Network's Social Media pages for a set amount of time. The lady with the most likes + comments + shares will earn the opportunity to participate with Charlene.
- ____ Support the 5 Ladies via Social Media
- Social Media Date Range: Week of May 8
- * Must be a paying member of the 2023 Challenge, not a Scholarship Awardee