America's Rising Star Kate Courtney: Mountain Bike National Champion

Kate Courtney found her love for cycling with tandem bike rides with her father in middle school and enjoying blueberry pancakes after the ride. "It was really just a vehicle for pancakes," she laughed. This was the beginning of 10x National Champion Kate Courtney's career on a bike.  Who knew that the little girl pedalling behind her dad in the woods of Mount Tam would become one of the top female cyclists in the world?  She started her racing career at the age of 14 in the NICA NorCal League, rapidly moved up the ranks and was racing Junior World Cups just 2 years later. Kate is down to earth, approachable and vibrant.  As a recent graduate from Stanford University, she knows a thing or two about balancing school with training and travel as well as commitment.  She also knows what it takes to perform at the highest level.  She is sponsored by Specialized and won the U23 Elite World Cup series this year.  Next year, the 22 year old will be turning 23 and racing in the Elite World Cup Circuit. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  how to deal with pre-race nerves how to view results and self-worth social media and how it builds community women's cycling her path to becoming a professional cyclist how to be more flexible when things don't go as planned Links Her CyclingTips article on balance and being a student athlete Her CyclingTips article on the mental side of racing Kate Courtney's Instagram Kate's page on Specialized   Support the Show If you like my show, I’m aiming to make it an ad-free zone using crowdfunding to support it.  All donations will go directly to the production of the show. I’m raising money using Patreon.   A lot of podcasts sell ads to cover the production costs of the show, which can be quite high. I am not a fan of ads when I listen to podcasts so my goal is make this podcast an ad-free zone. The currently production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs each week. If you find value and enjoy this show, you can donate any amount 200 dollars per month to as little as one dollar per episode (which is only 4 dollars a month!) I really appreciate your support! Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you! Shop my products!  Leave a review or share on social media Don’t forget to subscribe! Apple Podcasts Stitcher Google Play Thanks for listening!--------------The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.