Team Tuesday: Wendi Gulbransen & Fonda Matthews

July 13, 2021

Time to give that tired notion of the minivan driving, snack wielding soccer mom the boot!?

Adventurous, strong, Jeep-driven, and anything but typical, Team #115 Resilient Riders has arrived in Today’s Team Tuesday!

Wendi Gulbransen and Fonda Matthews met through their sons playing on the same soccer team. Since then, they’ve taken on some incredible experiences together such as rock crawling in the Sierras – including the famous Rubicon Trail. With a mutual love for Jeeps, Japanese food, and discovering new places, this Californian duo is ready to see what the Rebelle is all about!

Read on to find out a little more about the team, their third teammate (a 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler) and why they’re choosing the Rebelle as their next challenge.

Hometown/Current town:

Wendi: Danville, CA / Shingle Springs, CA
Fonda: Folsom, CA

Favorite Food:

Wendi: Pizza, Sushi & “kitchen sink” salads (this means whatever you have in the fridge, put it on lettuce with heavy dressing and yum!)
Fonda: I’m a total foodie. I especially love Japanese and Mexican food.

Something only your best friend knows about you:

Wendi: I may seem like an extrovert, but really I’m super shy.
Fonda: I come across as a neat and organized person, but in reality I’m a messy disorganized hoarder. Don’t open the closet under my stairs, something will definitely fall out of it!

Favorite place ever:

Wendi: Anywhere with family and friends. Cheesy but it’s true. I love adventure and discovering new places.
Fonda: Central Japan. It’s a beautiful and serene place with amazing green mountains, rivers and hot springs.

Why did you pick the vehicle you’re competing in?

Wendi: We are taking my teammate’s Jeep because it’s a beast! Black, shiny, great lift with all the bells and whistles. We both have a love for Jeeps too.
Fonda: Our third teammate is “Moslof.” He’s a 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler. He’s my daily driver and rock crawler. I’m excited to take him on an off-road rally and push him to his limits. It was either him or my 1969 Huggy Bear Orange Chevy K5 (maybe that’s next year.)

Why the Rebelle?

Wendi: I was invited unexpectedly by my teammate and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!
Fonda: I’ve followed the Rebelle the past 5 years and I’m always amazed at the places the teams get to go and the independent, strong and adventurous women who compete. I couldn’t wait to follow the rally each year. It was inspirational to watch and I can’t believe I get the privilege of meeting these amazing women and compete beside them.

Any shout-outs you’d like to make while you have our attention?

Wendy: To Fonda and Chris Matthews for the invitation to Rebelle. I’m forever grateful. To my husband, for being my wingman for all the prep it takes to be Fonda’s wing-woman!
Fonda: I’d like to shout out to my husband for giving me the Rebelle Rally as a Christmas gift. He’s always ready to wrench, calculate and lend a hand whenever I need it. And to my kids for always supporting my crazy adventures. And there is always some crazy adventure stirring in my brain waiting to be explored!

10TH RALLY EDITION: OCTOBER 8 – 18, 2025