Birthdate:
December 26
Hometown:
Rockford, IL (lived in B’ham, AL, until I was 16)
Current Residence:
Boulder, CO
Education:
BS Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
MA Exercise Science, San Francisco State University
Career Highlights:
Representing the US at both the Road World Championships and Cyclocross World Championships within 4 months of each other
Road Teams:
Team TIBCO 2009 – present
Aaron’s Pro Cycling 2008
TEAm Lipton 2006 – 2007
Team SATS 2003 – 2005
Talgo America 2002
Cyclocross Team:
California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized 2008/2009 – present
My Story:
I guess I should start at the beginning….
I grew up in Alabama, moved with my family to Illinois during my sophomore year of high school, and then moved an hour north to Madison, Wisconsin for college. In 1998 I ventured out west to California for more school. Four years later, I jumped across the pond to live in Denmark for two years while my then-husband, now ex-husband Ben worked on his post doc. After wrapping up a successful research stint in Copenhagen, Ben accepted his first faculty position at the University of Auckland in New Zealand so we once again transplanted ourselves in another foreign land for several years. In January 2007 we (bittersweetly) returned to the U.S., specifically to Fort Collins, CO, where Ben had accepted a job as an Assistant Professor at Colorado State University. I moved to Boulder in 2010 where I now live with my boyfriend, Johs and two pups, Haka and Koru.
At the University of Wisconsin I played soccer with one of the most successful teams in the Big Ten. With limited opportunities to continue my soccer career in the U.S. after college, I slowly turned my focus from a sport that requires leg speed on the ground to a sport that requires leg speed on two wheels. The move to Denmark became instrumental to this transition. I joined the Danish-based Team SATS and spent 3 years racing full-time in Europe. With Team SATS, I raced all the big women’s tours including the Giro Donne, Tour de l’Aude and World Cups races such as Flèche Wallonne, Milan San Remo and Flanders. It was an unforgettable experience – and one I continue to draw from when I return to Europe to race with the U.S. National Team or lead my team on the road on home soil.
I’ve spent the last eight years racing for U.S.-based teams such as the hugely successful TEAm Lipton, Aaron’s Pro Cycling and Team TIBCO. In addition to racing a full NRC calendar with each of these teams, I also spent a small portion of each season racing in Europe as part of the U.S. National Team through 2010 and last year with Team TIBCO. In 2009, after winning the U.S. National Road Championships, I represented the U.S. at the Road World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland. I return to Team TIBCO for a fifth season in 2013 in my fourth year as team captain.
In 2008 I decided to try my luck at ‘cross. On a whim, I entered CrossVegas and crossed the finish line with a grin on my face from ear to ear. Simply put, I was hooked. I decided I might as well give the discipline a whirl so I joined a full-blown ‘cross team, California Giant Berry Farms. Less than 18 months later, I finished 12th at the 2010 Cyclocross World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic. I had the top American result on the day and was once again grinning from ear to ear. California Giant Berry Farms has since become California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized thanks to the tireless support from the California-based bike company. For the 2012-13 season, I return to California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized for my fifth season of ‘cross and my fifth year on the team.
On the road, I relish my role as teammate extraordinaire. I strive to be the best teammate and contribute to my team’s success both on and off the bike. As for ‘cross, I have some pretty big personal aspirations, and I have fully committed myself to achieving them. Louisville, KY will host the Cyclocross World Championships in 2013. I’m looking for a top ten finish on home soil against the best cyclocross racers in the world.
