Mavic Haute Route Rockies
I’ve lived in Golden for about four years but I travel all over the country to race. I primarily focus on cyclocross and cross-country mountain bike racing.
I started racing in 1999 and I turned professional in 2004.
This is my first year participating in the Mavic Haute Route Rockies. It’s a seven-day cycling event. We started in Boulder and will end summitting Pikes Peak. This event covers many of the iconic Colorado climbs and that was very attractive to me.
It snowed on us on June 24, but other than that, it’s been perfect Colorado weather — sunshine with cool undertones.
There’s a fairly diverse group of people with different backgrounds participating. We’re all working together to get through each day. You don’t realize the depths of the relationships you make with people you’ve never met before from all over the globe.
‘Outside is my happy place’
I grew up in the northeastern U.S. and graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Alabama. I went into the Air Force in 2002. Then, in 2011, I went to the University of Denver for grad school.
Colorado has always had a draw for me. I love the mountains and the abundance of sunshine. It makes me happy. And the Golden community is phenomenal.
I grew up spending a lot of time outside, but when I went off to college, I didn’t have the same access to the outdoors. Then, some of the guys in ROTC took me out mountain biking and I fell in love with it.
Being outside is a really good way to clear your head and build a better relationship with the world you live in. Outside is my happy place.
Having a blast with kids
This is the third year I’ve been coaching the GBX Juniors. It stands for Golden Bike eXperience and it’s a developmental mountain bike program for middle-and-high school aged kids. It’s a fantastic program. We have about 120 youth involved and they’re great kids. I see them every summer and it’s fun to watch them grow up. And, they’re a blast to ride with.
If you have suggestions for My Name Is..., contact Christy Steadman at csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com.
