Heartbreak, Burritos, and Belief
I was sitting in an Illegal Pete’s in Denver, burrito in hand, next to my best friend Sofia when I received the email that I was not selected to compete in the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix. I had doubts of getting in after what was the most arduous season of racing I’ve had, but many people told me, “Of course you’ll be in.” I must have leaned on what others told me because when I received this email my heart sunk. I didn’t expect my reaction to be that I was heartbroken.
Reading through the list of people on the roster, I truly am very impressed and excited with how many talented women there are going to be competing at these events. There are many new faces, and close friends who are joining in, and it’s going to be cool to compete alongside all these women.
It’s been around a month since the Lifetime Grand Prix roster came out. I still have some sadness which shows me that I care and I want to find success in this series. I also have a feeling of confidence for next year, excitement towards having two years of endurance racing under my belt, that I am going to race Unbound for the first time which is a big personal challenge. I love that. Mostly, that over this 2025 season I found a lot of personal growth in life and in the sport. I have slowly been finding my personal path, what it means to me, what works for me, and being okay with having a different approach.
I actually think that is the biggest thought I have been trying to accept, and I’m going to lean on time and time again. Trusting myself is one of the hardest things for me. I have a lot of self doubt and I think that is a huge reason why I appreciate this sport. It challenges just that. It forces you to find belief in yourself, because what it is doing over and over again is testing you to remember why you’re doing it. What will keep you moving forward when everything hurts so badly, you can barely see, and taking a hand off your handlebar to get another gel in is the hardest thing? How many times can you overcome a setback? It has been important for me to continuously find my why to go through the challenges, the heartbreak, and the confusion. I don’t think I’ll ever have a solid answer for why, because being in a sport constantly forces self improvement and questioning, and I believe it will constantly be changing through time. For now, that is why I’m here. For all that I just said.
At this point in time, I feel fired up for this next season. I have felt an unwavering amount of support from people around me, proving again that the cycling community is so wonderful. I’m excited to chase the wildcard at Sea Otter and Unbound. Having an unknown at hand and targeting these two events brings a new excitement for the year ahead.
Onwards and upwards.
