Makena got into cycling when she was in 8th grade. She played soccer her whole life, along with a coupel years of Lacrosse. Her dad was riding his mountain bike for fun and taught her how to ride a bike when she was 1½ . He heard from one of their family friends that there was a local MTB team for North County. Her brother decided to try out mountain biking, and her dad was going to coach. Makena decided one night to go to practice and she was hooked immediately. She remembers everyone being was so friendly and welcoming, and they had so much fun, especially with her dad and brother. A couple years later she joined the Bear National Team, and her outlook on cycling completely changed. With Bear she was able to race outside of California and her comfort zone. The team allowed her to develop as a rider and a person. She has been able to develop her racing skills by traveling all over the US and the World. In 2021, she was invited to represent Team USA at the World Championships in Val Di Sole, Italy. This experience changed her outlook on riding and how amazing European racing truly is.