Sister Mary Ann Spanjers first competed in El Tour de Tucson in 2018, finishing the full 100-plus mile course. This year, she’ll compete Saturday in the 2023 version of the event at either the 32- or 62-mile distance.
Somewhere around junior high, Sister Mary Ann Spanjers remembers going to mass, coming out of church one afternoon and just feeling different.
“Feeling more like myself,” said Spanjers, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.
It was receiving the Eucharist, consuming the bread and drinking the wine that represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ, that helped Spanjers feel more centered.
“I knew I wanted that in my life — becoming closer to God and myself and other people — and knowing there was a connection I had with God and knowing I wanted that on a regular basis. And also knowing I wanted to be with others to make a difference in the world. I tell my students, you only have one life. And I didn’t want to do something ... boring.
“I wanted to do something radical.”
You’ve heard of the Flying Nun?
What’s more radical than the Cycling Sister?
That’s Spanjers, who will be on her bike Saturday traversing the road of Southern Arizona, taking part in the 2023 El Tour de Tucson.
Sister Mary Anne featured on Arizona Daily Star.