Sara welcomes Ultra-endurance bike rider and racer, Lael Wilcox, to discuss her unconventional success in ultra racing and the joy of making people (ok, mostly men) think, "How is this even possible?!"
In 2016, she won the Trans Am Bike Race outright, making her the first female to do so. The Trans Am is the premier self-supported road race across the United States, traversing over 4200 miles.
She discusses:
- The exhilaration of winning outright
- Her strategy and logistics for winning such a grueling event
- The power of beating the boys - "A Win for Womankind"
- A woman's capacity for resilience and grit
- What it was like being constantly doubted and questioned
- Handling the physical and mental aspects of pain and how she made friends with it
Lael also runs Tucson GRIT and Anchorage GRIT (girls riding into tomorrow), a cycling mentorship program, for girls ages 11-13. They ride together for six weeks, with a build-up to a camp-out ride. Her true passion? Getting more girls and women to “give it a go.” She shares her advice with parents of young girls, and even older women who want to achieve their own epic adventures.
Find mentors and start small. Do things that will build your confidence. Then, before you know it, you'll be riding across the country in jean shorts beating the boys across the line.
Lael Wilcox Instagram
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