2018 Changes - Wait. What? Ahh... A real job??
From This:
1st
2017 BME Opener Santa Fe (Glorietta)
Bike Life Video in Durango:
Professional Mountain Bike Racer
To This:
Engineering and Production Manager (Operations Manager)
Video: https://youtu.be/eVVHO6s8V-kWinning the BME season opener and my final 2017 races in Mexico was a great way to end a race career.
I have been lucky enough to race as a professional athlete for over 10 years, first XC then Enduro. Living on the road while training and racing was an amazing experience.
The ability to race XC World Cups and XC/Marathon World Championships, live in Cyprus, England, Spain, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, and South Africa for extended periods of time and visit Canada, Mexico, Peru, Switzerland, France, and Austria can't be beaten. I was ranked 5th in the USA for pro-XC women in 2011 and made the Olympic long team in 2012. Who could ask for more??? I owe all this to my sponsors, friends, and family. Thank you!!
SoundTraxx
Hogsback trail in the background (ridgeline just left of center, steeper than it looks)
January 2018 I began the full-time position in Durango as an Operations Manager (Engineering Manager + Production Manager) for SoundTraxx. I will still be involved in MTB events including Enduro and DH races but am switching from "Professional Racer" to "Ambassador" for the companies who are still supporting me.
I race because I LOVE riding closed courses as fast as I want to! Now my focus will be on others as I help get them ready to race. I will be pre-riding with Devo kids, athletes and others who would like "pro-tips" on racing, line selection, pacing, training, skills, etc.
I am stoked to be working for an Engineering company where I am part of the leadership team helping to drive the direction of the company. My daily job is as much removing roadblocks, empowering employees, and creating career paths as it is technical.
Added benefits: SoundTraxx is 5-minutes from where I live in downtown Durango (via car or trail) in an amazing new contemporary building with every convenience you would want including decks, BBQ patio, well-equipped lunchrooms, shower rooms, top-of-the-line lab equipment and (most importantly) it backs up the Test Tracks/Ned Overand MTB trail network.
I helped build out the fitness room and get to act as the on-site fitness consultant for employees. It would be great to start up a MTB SoundTraxx work ride and possibly offer SoundTraxx hosted clinics/rides this summer.
Mexico Shuttle Bus
I received this offer while on a bus in Oaxaca when we received a bit of cell service. See my Peru Biking and Mexico 2 x 3-day enduro races post.
We were in-between race runs on a dirt road that was never-ever designed for a bus. It was so foreign and difficult to comprehend a full-time Engineering position 3-weeks into living out of bags in Peru and Mexico, moving almost every day to who-knows-where, with who-knows-which-guys, shuttling DH trails as fast as possible all day every day followed by sitting around drinking beer while talking about riding trails as fast as possible.
Turns out this is actually the perfect job opportunity with plenty of time to travel, play on bikes, provide skills coaching and clinics.
We were in-between race runs on a dirt road that was never-ever designed for a bus. It was so foreign and difficult to comprehend a full-time Engineering position 3-weeks into living out of bags in Peru and Mexico, moving almost every day to who-knows-where, with who-knows-which-guys, shuttling DH trails as fast as possible all day every day followed by sitting around drinking beer while talking about riding trails as fast as possible.
Turns out this is actually the perfect job opportunity with plenty of time to travel, play on bikes, provide skills coaching and clinics.
So happy for you. Pretty cool how this job just "fell into your lap." I hope that this job becomes your second passion! And if you are every back this way in Tennessee, I would like to "hire" you for a day.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new job and on the successful racing career -- lots of solid racing and equally as important being a friendly, approachable racer who helped many along the way.
ReplyDelete