Last week I was able to visit a few classes at Congress Elementary School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are participation in Safe Routes to School lessons courtesy of the Wisconsin Bike Fed. The first class invited me to talk about myself a little, and they asked a ton of questions. Great questions about my bike, myself, and bike racing.  I also had the pleasure of demonstrating some basic skills for riding on the street! 

I figured it'd be fun to share the answers to this list of questions! Why not?!

Do you have any kids? Nope

What inspired you to start cycling? I was in Boston for college and I wanted a more affordable/ efficient way of getting to class. My friend raved about the convenience of riding a bike, so I decided that was the best way to go!

Why do you like going fast? Because it's fun!

Have you ever had to overcome someone that brought you down? All. The. Time. People will often try to bring you down, but so long as you establish a strong sense of self, they'll have a hard time succeeding. 

How old are you? 29

Are you Married? Yup!

How many [State] Championships have you won? 2 New York State Championships

About how many miles do you ride a day? When I ride, usually between 20-60.

 A week? 150-200

How do you train? A little bit of gym, a lotta bit of bike.

Have you ever crashed? Yes, but never too bad. 

Do you want to go to the Olympics one day? For sure!

Do you have any siblings?  One sister.

Any Pets? Two cats and a dog. 

Where else are you going to inspire people? Wherever I can!

Do you have any medals? How many? Yes, not sure, I should really take them out, count them, and display them proudly! I'll do that. 

What kinds of food do you eat when training? On the bike, mostly fig bars and bananas. 

Did you go to college? Yes! I have a Music degree from Berklee College of Music!

What do you like to do in your free time? Spend time with family and friends!

Do you ever get tired / not want to ride? It happens. I'm pretty tired right now actually. 

What are your accomplishments? I'm most proud of convincing women who've doubted themselves to try new things. That's not limited to riding bikes! 

Have you ever had an injury? Yes. There's a list. But nothing notable from racing beyond some road rash. 

Do you live close to your family? Nope. With the exception of my husband, all of my family lives on the East Coast. I live on the West coast. 

Have you ever broken your bike? Yup. The vintage Merckx that got me into road bikes. A stick went into my front wheel and destroyed my shoulder and my bike. Still sad about that. 

What are your goals in life? To help as many people as I can while still having a good time. 

Was it hard to get where you are? Yes, but I've also had a ton of fun along the way. 

Do you have a job other than cycling? Yes, I teach music, and I'm a program director for InTandem, a super rad non profit in NYC that provides tandem cycling opportunities for people with disabilities! 

That's it! Thanks again to the Wisconsin Bike Fed for bringing me out and letting me spend time with these awesome kids!