Alesa Lightbourne is a writer and educator who has lived in six countries and spent a lifetime asking what it means to live larger.

Long before becoming a grandmother swimming in cold Pacific waters, she accepted her son’s challenge to chase a dream. That decision led her to teach in the Kurdish region of Iraq—an experience she later described in her award-winning book, The Kurdish Bike.

The book was translated into five languages and became a favorite among book clubs around the world. Since then, Alesa has spoken with more than 150 book clubs across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.

Alesa earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a master’s degree in writing and literature from the University of Washington. She has taught at high schools, colleges, and universities internationally, and served as dean of a business school in Singapore.

Drawn to questions of culture, courage, and spirituality, Alesa writes about how ordinary lives become extraordinary through choice and resilience. She lives near the beach in Santa Cruz, California, where she volunteers, swims and rides her bicycle as often as possible.

She welcomes comments and questions from readers: author@badassgma.com.

About the Author