Local Windham woman chosen as Diveas SnowGear Ambassador - By Elizabeth Richards

Snowmobile enthusiast Tonnya Sayah has plenty to talk about on the trails this season. As one of 37 brand ambassadors for Divas SnowGear (DSG), Sayah will be decked out in the bright pink Lace collection and talking up the brand as she rides. 
 

Sayah, a Windham resident, was selected out of 1,500 applicants from around the US and Canada to represent the brand during the 2014-15 season. This is the first year the company has sponsored the volunteer ambassador program, intended to spread the word about this brand which offers gear made specifically for women. In addition to raising brand awareness, the program is intended to also get more women involved in the sport. 

The application included questions about how long she has been riding, how active she is in the local club, and her thoughts on the sport. Sayah said that when she found out she had been chosen, she jumped out of her chair and screamed with joy. “I was ecstatic about it,” she said. “It’s an amazing group of women that got chosen.” She said she thinks her passion for the sport and the fact that she loves to talk with people played a role in her selection. 

As a brand ambassador, Sayah will represent DSG at trade shows and events, as well as testing riding gear and providing feedback to the company. The ambassadors will spread the word on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the DSG blog. 

“I couldn’t be more excited to have this amazing group of women as part of our team this season” said Wendy Gavinski, president of Divas SnowGear, in a press release.   

         

According to Sayah, Gavinski started the company four years ago out of frustration, because there was no gear developed just for women on the market. “There was men’s gear shrunk down to fit us with a little bit of pink thrown on it, but it’s not the same,” Sayah said. “She [Gavinski] was looking for something with form, function and fit.” 

The company offers several different lines that cater to different types of riders. They offer gear from extra small to 5XL, designed to fit all women in styles that are fashionable yet functional, said Sayah.

Sayah saw the call for applications to the brand ambassador program on Facebook, and decided to go for it. Sayah is an avid rider who is heavily involved in the Windham Drifters snowmobile club, serving as the club treasurer. “It’s definitely a passion for me,” she says.

Participation in the ambassador program is volunteer work, and Sayah said her responsibilities won’t take away from her riding opportunities. Attending trade shows is something she would have done anyway, she said, and she can fulfill much of her duty on the trails by talking with women at stops. “It doesn’t take away from snowmobiling at all. If anything it enhances it,” she said. 

She’ll be talking to women about what they want from their gear, what works and doesn’t work, and some of the special features DSG gear offers. Building friendships is easy on the trail, Sayah said, and the feedback she collects will be taken back to the company to improve the gear. “We can bring feedback back to our company to make our products better,” said Sayah.

Sayah has been actively involved in snowmobiling for ten years, though she has memories of snowmobiling with her dad when she was a child as well. Her whole family is involved in the sport too. When her children were younger, they rode on the back until they were old enough to get their own sleds. The Sayahs can ride right from their house, but also enjoy day trips to ride. Sayah says she’ll travel up to three hours one way to find good snow.

Sayah is married with two boys, ages 16 and 18. She works as a claims manager for an insurance company, and volunteers for the snowmobile club as well as participating in craft fairs. In December and January, she rides mainly on Sundays since her younger son wrestles for Windham High School. When wrestling is done, she said, both weekend days are devoted to snowmobiling.

 

She said that making sure women are warm and have the right gear is essential to getting them involved in the sport. “Once you get bundled up in the right gear it’s not cold,” she said. “Are we a little crazy if it’s 20 below and we’re still out there? Maybe, but we’re having fun doing it – that’s what it’s all about,” she added.