My story

Hometown: Visalia, CA                     Current town: Talent, OR

Education: Bachelors in Human Function from Pacific University, Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Pacific University

Profession: Physical Therapist.  I work in a skilled nursing and rehab center with an older adult population.

How I got into racing: I grew up playing soccer, that was my main sport.  In college, I dabbled in a lot of other sports.  I got into whitewater kayaking pretty heavily for awhile.  I picked up mountain biking when some friends dragged me out on a ride with them.  They were shocked when I could hang on with them and ride a lot of the stuff they thought was difficult.  So, being a very competitive person, I was intrigued by the opportunity to be able to show the boys I could kick their asses on a regular basis.  I have an older brother to thank for that personality trait.

I started racing mountain bikes about 6 years ago when my roommate’s boyfriend dragged me out to a race.  I was a purely recreational, off the couch racer until I discovered road biking about 4 years ago.  Once I started road racing, it quickly engulfed my life and drained by bank account as I upgraded from racing on a heavy cross bike to a high end carbon frame.  This can be an expensive sport!  Two years ago my boyfriend bought me 3 months with a coach for a Christmas present.  It was the best and most useful present he could have given me.  I started training consistently and with a purpose which made a huge difference in my results.  I’m still with the same coach, Kendra Wenzel, and still have so much room to improve on my skills and fitness.  That’s the cool thing about cycling, there is always room to improve!

Update: In September of 2011, I had the opportunity to join a new womens team for 2012. I signed with Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies based out of Minneapolis. So far, this has been an incredible adventure. The support from this team is amazing and allows me to pour all of my time and energy into improving my cycling. The season is just getting started, stay tuned to the blog for race and life updates!