Rebuilding After the Crash with Kait Boyle | EP50

Kait Boyle is a world champion ultra-endurance mountain biker and co-founder of Bikepacking Roots, known for setting course records on some of the hardest self-supported races in the world, including the Arizona Trail, Kokopelli Trail, and Vapor Trail 125. Two months after winning 24-Hour Worlds in 2018, a car accident on black ice shattered her pelvis and left her uncertain whether she'd walk again. In this episode of What’s the Rusch, Rebecca and Kait trace the eight years since: a full recovery, a season stepped away from ultra racing, and this year's third attempt at the Colorado Trail record, cut short after one day by a back injury. They talk through the mantras that carried Kait through her hardest hours, the sports psychology and physical therapy behind her comeback, and what it means to build an identity that isn't tied to finishing lines.Show NotesRebecca and Kait discuss:Her path from graduate work in adventure education to racing ultra-endurance mountain bikes full timeWinning 24-Hour Worlds in 2018 and stepping away from a full-time job to chase racingThe car accident two months later that shattered her pelvis and ruptured her bladderThe ICU conversation with her surgeon that shaped her entire recoveryLearning to tell ordinary back tightness apart from an injury serious enough to stop forThe mantras "I get to" and "water is the softest thing" that carried her through recovery and this year's setbackWalking away mid-race at 24-Hour Worlds and stepping back from ultra racing for several yearsReturning to racing and building toward three attempts at the Colorado Trail recordThis year's Colorado Trail attempt, cut short after one day, and what she's carrying into the next chapterTransformative insights:A doctor's early belief in a patient's recovery can shape the entire trajectory of that recoverySoftness and patience can move as much as force ever couldAn identity built entirely on athletic performance is fragile; a life built on community and place is notPreparation and effort still count, even when the goal itself doesn't come togetherVulnerable moments:Kait describes lying in the ICU on Christmas Eve, not knowing if she'd walk againHer partner Will's fear about her returning to ultra racing after living through the accident with herThe moment mid-race at 24-Hour Worlds when she and her physical therapist agreed she had to stopWatching this year's Colorado Trail race unfold without her, after scratching her own attemptPractical wisdom:How to tell normal training soreness apart from an injury serious enough to stop forUsing a mantra tied to a specific goal, not a generic one, to get through low pointsWorking with both a sports psychologist and a physical therapist as ongoing, standard supportDeciding your own limits in advance, before race-day pressure and public commitments make that harderPersonal growth:Kait's shift from defining herself by racing results to defining herself by community, place, and connectionHow three years spent chasing the Colorado Trail record left room for a new chapter instead of another attemptRebecca's reflection on her own concussion recovery and what led her to start this podcastLearning to sit with not knowing what comes next, rather than rushing toward an answerLinks and ResourcesBikepacking RootsKait's websiteKait's InstagramKait's Substack, Here + NowShow SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Rebecca’s Private Idaho, where adventure, community, and purpose come together in the wild. Join us in Sun Valley for a ride that's about more than the miles; it's about showing up for yourself, your community, and the planet. Registration is open!Support UsIf this episode moved you, please share it with someone, leave a review, send it to a training partner, or post your favorite takeaway on social media. All of these help us continue to bring you these inspiring conversations!Subscribe and FollowRate, Review, and ShareGet Connected: Follow Rebecca on social media or subscribe to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and updates on new episodes.WebsiteInstagramLinkedInSubstackBlood RoadBecome a Partner: Interested in reaching an engaged audience of leaders, athletes, creatives, and purpose-driven individuals? What's the Rusch is the place to align your brand with authentic conversations about performance, purpose, and personal growth. For sponsorship inquiries and media kit information, please contact [email protected].