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.

Happy to be home

June 28, 2011

I'm happy to be home in Ketchum and Summer is finally here. It's my favorite time of year and the reason I'm moved here in the first place. Flowers are blooming, trails are open and there's snow on the high peaks. It's truly a storybook setting. The only bad thing about Summer in Idaho is that it doesn't last as long as we all want it to. This week was full of hard training, laundry and getting back into the swing of things at home. This week IMBA hosted their board meeting in town, thanks to board member and Smith Optics CEO, Blair Clark. I was lucky enough to be invited to host a ride with them and show them around the trails here. Saturday, we had about 20 people including IMBA board member, staff and friends all out riding our local trails. It was so fun to show them around and let them see first hand some of the IMBA and Wood River Bike Coalition efforts that have been going on this year.



Right now, this area is buzzing with bike community enthusiasm. USAC Nationals are coming to town in a couple of weeks and I have so many pro and amateur racer friends calling me for course info and logistics. This place is going to be chock full of cyclists and bursting at the seams soon. The community is so stoked to be hosting the event and seeing so many cycling advocacy efforts come to fruition right now. It truly feels like the tide is changing here. We've always had hundreds of miles of world class single track. Those trails are the reason I live here. However, what's been missing has been cycling events and new trail development. Those things are both happening hand in hand right now and it's a blast to be part of the wave.


Sunday, I did my favorite drive it the whole world. I went over to the McCall area to do a marathon mtb race at Jug Mountain Resort. It was on the training schedule, so I packed myself in the car and hit the road. The drive from Ketchum, through Stanley and over to McCall is the most beautiful drive in the world. It's all two lane road that really puts the Audi to the test. Not only is the drive fun, but trying to keep your eyes on the curvy road is impossible. The north and south fork of the Payette rivers are going off, herd of Elk are hanging out and the snow capped Sawtooth Mountains are eye candy that's super distracting. The race was a great workout and probably the most fun mtb race I've ever done in Idaho. It was a combo of great climbing and mtb specific flow trails. It was worth the drive and such a great day of training topped off with the most beautiful drive in the world.

Specialized was also in town this weekend to do some womens product shots for the new Fate womens specific carbon 29er. I can't describe how much fun this bike is, at 18.5lbs it absolutely flies! Here is the first pic from this weekends ride in Adam's Gulch, I will share the professional ones from Corral Creek soon.

Stats for Rebecca Rusch are coming soon.
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