I began my competitive career early through basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, andI rowed all four years at Mount Holyoke College. I moved up to Vermont after graduating and took up a variety of outdoor activities – hiking, snowboarding, snowshoeing, rock climbing, and mountain biking. In 1999, I started mountain bike racing and was happy to be back in that competitive environment. Road racing was added to my world in 2000 when I began racing for the University of Vermont, where I was studying for my masters degree in Counseling. I instantly loved everything about road racing – tactics, teamwork, suffering, training, racing, the community. In 2002, I turned my racing focus to road completely and after racing regionally in New England, decided to make the big move to California to be “a bike racer."
My first year in California (2003), I raced for Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club, a well-known, local club that provided me with great support. I took advantage of opportunities to guest ride with other teams at bigger races such as Fitchburg and Altoona. It was at Altoona that I had my best result, finishing 5th in one of the harder road stages and 10th overall. This result caught the eye of the director of the Canadian team Rona, and they offered me a contract for the 2004 year.
2004 was a huge growth year for me as I learned a ton working with other high level women racers and had my first exposure to European racing. Although it did not go very well, I knew I would be back.
In 2005, I joined Webcor and have grown to think of Christine, Karen, Ted, and Dario as my family. They were there when I won Elite Road Nationals in 2005, suffered a horrible accident in 2006 that almost ended my career, and they have supported me throughout my best season in 2007 (see results below!). Many a tear and much laughter has been shared and I look forward to more this coming season.
2008 started off great with a win at the opening World Cup race in Geelong, Australia. Unfortunately, bad luck struck a week later when I broke my collarbone while racing in New Zealand. I chose to have surgery and then four weeks later, while racing in Belgium, I crashed again and re-broke the same collarbone. Fortunately I have a great orthopedic surgeon who put me back together again, yet I never felt as if I got my race legs back. I struggled to regain my fitness and despite making the World’s team, was disappointed in my performance.
2009 holds many possibilities for great team success – Karen has put together an amazing squad of veterans who bring an awesome level of knowledge, and newcomers whose energy and enthusiasm will fuel us through anything.
Top results of 2008:
1. Geelong World Cup, 1st
2. Stage 1 of Geelong Stage Race, 5th
3. Geelong Stage Race GC, 6th
4. Elite US Nationals Time Trial, 5th
5. Green Mountain Stage Race – Stages 1, 4, and GC, 1st
Top career results:
1. Geelong World Cup, 2008, 1st
2. Elite US Nationals Road Race, 2005, 1st
3. Tour de l'Ardeche (France), 2007, 3rd GC
4. Redlands Bicycle Classic, 2007, 3rd GC
5. Green Mountain Stage Race, 2008, 1st GC |