Rebecca Rusch

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Rebecca Rusch wasn’t thinking about world championships when she joined the Downers Grove North High School cross-country team. “I just wanted the free track suit,” recalls Rusch, who, 28 years later, finds herself among the ranks of the world’s elite endurance athletes. In July of 2009, Rusch won her third straight mountain biking 24-hour Solo World Championship.

Since donning those gray cotton sweats and Lycra shorts, Rusch has outfitted herself in the kit of numerous other disciplines: racking up ascents of big walls from Yosemite to Zion, paddling on the world-famous Offshore Canoe Club’s women’s outrigger team in the brutal Molokai crossing and winning adventure races around the world.

When not training in one of the five mountain ranges surrounding her hometown of Ketchum, Idaho, the 41-year-old known as the “Queen of Pain” can be found chasing adrenaline from Tibet to New Zealand to Kyrgyzstan, constantly adding titles to her impressive and extensive resume.

In addition to those three 24-hour solo mountain bike World Champion rainbow jerseys, Rusch is a three-time national champion in 24-hour team mountain biking. She’s Idaho’s Short Track state championship (twice), and its Cyclocross state title. An accomplished Nordic skier, she’s won the Masters Cross Country Skiing World Championship, in addition to taking the top prize at Raid Gauloises Adventure Racing World Championships. And although that’s just cross-section of her palmares, it’s easy to see why Rusch has been profiled by Sports Illustrated, Outside Magazine and Adventure Sport Magazine.

Talking about age draws a laugh as she gestures at her surroundings. "People around here are all 10 years younger than they actually are. And I don’t mean they just look it; they are actually 10 years younger," she said. "Everyone’s out there constantly doing stuff, from biking to skiing to hiking. There’s a collective mentality that if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it."

This mentality, along with what she calls "perfect terrain for training," provides a home base for the typically itinerant Rusch. She is part of the community; for more than two years she has been a stalwart volunteer emergency medical technician and firefighter for the Ketchum Fire Department, and a homeowner. On breaks from her race schedule, she works on her condominium, though the domestic idea continues to bemuse her; the last home she owned was a 1975 Ford Bronco.

After a great birthday week.....

August 31, 2009

After a great birthday week I thought it was time to post a blog. Today is the 24 hrs of Targhee. I guess it’s our semi-local 24 hr race, and I’ve raced there once before and the course is fun and the prize money is really good too. There is about 800 feet of climbing for each 7.3 mile lap, so it will by no means be easy. There are 5 guys from Ketchum alone who are going to race solo over there. I’m undecided about racing solo or on a duo team. The deciding factor will be how many entries there are in each category. If there are not at least 5 in a category, the prize money drops. So basically, I’m going over there for a great training day and hopefully a decent pay day, but it all depends on who shows up! Either way, it’ll be a great road trip, camping and some good riding.

The week of my birthday was incredible, and was a great start to the year. So many friends came out of the woodwork to play mini-golf at the Sun Valley resort. The best part is that it was $5 and hours in entertaining fun. I am a horrible golf player and will not be trying to reinvent myself anytime soon to dominate that sport.

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