Sisters couple pursues passion for cycling and martial arts

Victoria Graves and Jerry Norquist. photo by Becky Coffield Jerry Norquist and his wife Victoria Graves have a passion for athletics -- and for the Sisters community.

Jerry's love and involvement with bicycles began when he was a child. Born and reared in San Diego, Norquist says, "Bicycles were our transportation. I grew up on bikes." After a lengthy career working for Trek, Norquist is still dedicated to getting more people involved with cycling, especially children.

Other than a few years here and there, Norquist spent the majority of his working years employed mostly by Trek and living in diverse parts of the country, from Washington to Wisconsin, California and finally Oregon.

Since his "retirement" from Trek, he has served as Executive Director for Cycle Oregon, a nonprofit program based in Portland, but having far-reaching effects throughout the state.

"Cycle Oregon helps provide small communities with economic benefits and helps promote cycling," he said. "Cycling is a lifetime sport, and I'd like to bring more kids back into the sport."

Victoria Graves, Norquist's wife of 15 years, is no stranger to cycling herself.

Born and reared in Portland, one of seven children, she grew up as an "indentured servant" working for her father who owned The Bike Gallery in Portland.

"I owe so much of who I am today to my father. I am so appreciative of learning honesty, integrity, and hard work," she said. "He gave me the foundation of who I am."

Norquist and Graves met when he made sales calls on her father's bike shop.

From Portland, the two relocated to Wisconsin for 10 years where Norquist worked in management with Trek, before they returned to the west coast.

Besides serving as Executive Director for Cycle Oregon, Norquist also has a touring business.

"I take eight to 10 people at a time to areas of great bike riding. We do two- and three-day trips," he said. Norquist's love of the sport took him on a two-month, 2,000-mile trip across Canada and down the Mississippi once, but Graves generally prefers day trips, although the two are going to Louisiana later in the year for an extended bike ride.

Ever the outdoorsman, when not involved directly with promoting bicycling, Norquist spent his time running a small Nordic ski program out of Spout Springs, a ski area near Walla Walla, outfitting and rigging sailboats in Puget Sound, and doing educational programs through Whitman College where he spent two summers canoeing the Yukon River.

Graves has found her own passion in life, however.

Upon moving to Sisters, she took up Taekwondo as a way of meeting people and connecting with the community after she saw an ad about it in The Nugget.

In the six years she has practiced this martial art, she has advanced to a second degree black belt, and is working to step up to the third degree this year. She admits to working out five days a week in her pursuit to attain this level of competence.

She also takes SOAR's PKS (punch-kick-sweat) classes as a way of helping to maintain her level of fitness for the demands of Taekwondo.

Despite his weekly commute to Portland for Cycle Oregon, Norquist is a dedicated advocate of the Sisters community.

Recognizing and appreciating the wonderful community that Sisters is, Norquist works to help preserve the livability of the area. He is an active member of CATS (Community Action Team of Sisters) and the Trails Team.

He is also a member of the Deschutes Basin Land Trust, which purchases land to preserve it for future generations.

After all the years of moving about, the couple feel that Sisters will be their permanent home.

"The town is so friendly and welcoming. Sisters is a community you can get involved with," Jerry Norquist said. "It is incredible the number of people who step up to volunteer."