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.

Whew! We finally arrived in Mammoth

September 21, 2009

Whew! We finally arrived in Mammoth and have both cell service and internet. We also have a hot shower, which after two days in 100+ degree heat riding is much needed. The days have been HARD and hot. We’re nearly half way to Vegas and the troops are a bit battered, but the camraderie is building every day. The group is really fit and riding well, but we are essentially doing a century or more every day for 6 days!

Temps day 1-2 were 105. Temps day 3 were better, but the barriers were the Yosemite park rangers and then brutal winds on the East Side of the Sierras along hwy 395. We actually got pulled off the road part way up to Tioga Pass and the rangers made us get in the vans and shuttle to the exit of the park. We missed a lot of the climbing, but got in the big descent and rode the rest of the way to Mammoth. Tonight is the first night in a hotel with a hot shower and it feels really good. even though we’re in hotels the rest of the way, Western Spirit is still cooking breakfast/dinner for us, so we still all sit around in a big group a night and tell stories about the day and get to hang out. I was afraid when we made it to civilization that everyone would hop on their phones/computers and hole up in their rooms. The people on the ride are all bike shop owners and journalists heading to Interbike, so they all have a ton of work to do, but I”m super impressed that everyone is able to put that aside and just ride bikes for a week. It’s been awesome to spend so much time on the road with everyone and get to know their stories while we’re sweating together uphill.

Today is another 100 mile day from Mammoth to Lone Pine. It has been strange to be in the Sierras (Yosemite and now the east side) and not be rock climbing. I’ve spent alot of time here doing a completely different sport and experiencing the area in such a different way this time.

Stats for Rebecca Rusch are coming soon.
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