I grew up in the mountains of Northeastern Washington, not far from Canada or Idaho, with a love and respect for the outdoors, I was adventurous from the start. I remember watching Mary Lou Retton in the 1984 Olympics, and saw Kerri Strug overcome the impossible in the 1996 Olympics. From my earliest memories, I wanted to grow up to be an athlete and represent my country as they did. I remember always trying to race my sister on foot, by bike, and in the water. I believe I was born strongly competitive, but my sister, on the other hand, was not. This drove me crazy, so I would try to find a way to compete, even if that meant I was running from her.
In Seattle, I found cycling again when I took a job as a bike messenger. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this job would end up taking me all over the world to compete in messenger championship races, and eventually south to San Francisco where I would discover road racing, and a path to my dream of becoming a professional athlete.
Over the years in San Francisco, I put myself through college and honed my creative side as a Graphic Designer. I won the Portfolio Show in my program, and started building my client base before I graduated. This allowed me to eventually work for myself, and be able to dedicate more time, energy and focus on my cycling career. I now live in Boulder County, Colorado, am married, have two Australian Shepards and a home on land that offers immediate access to endless dirt roads and mountain trails.
Perhaps most importantly, I feel like I have balance in my life these days. This has become an important part of my development as an athlete. Taking time to nurture healthy, positive relationships with a few close people is important to me. Being an athlete is consuming, and I often need to be selfish, so carving out time for those I love and who support me is key, as is finding time for things outside of cycling and being close to nature. As a family, we hike, go camping, play in our orchard and garden, and spend time in our nearby mountains. This time away from the bike creates an opportunity to practice calm and focus, and that translates back to a clear head when surrounded by race chaos.
With a cancelled 2020, and now 2021 team season I look back on what I have accomplished and am grateful for every opportunity I’ve had, looking forward I stay focused on accomplishing that little girl’s dream to one day represent my country in sport, and being that inspiration to another little girl.
Discipline: Road Cycling Gravel Racing ⋅ Racing Age: 41 ⋅ Strengths on the bike: Sprinting, Aggressive Attacks, Domestique, Power Climbs, Team Player ⋅ Coach: Kendra Wenzel ⋅ Resides: Longmont, CO ⋅ Started Competitive Cycling: 2007