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.

MY OWN PRIVATE WYOMING

March 30, 2010

Today I sat down and sort of thought about how fun this last weekend was. After the packed showing of Race Across the Sky we looked forward to exploring the Teton Valley and doing some recreating. Saturday morning we pulled the van out front of the hotel, loaded up our skis and headed towards Teton Pass to do some backcountry skiing. What was a great idea was quickly shut down by a Mercedes running a red light. One wrecked minivan door and a exploded PBR later and we were second guessing our day ahead.

Maybe it was a sign that we shouldn’t go skiing. Plan B was a sweet road ride in Teton National Forest. The road is closed to vehicles during the heavy winter months, but due to the recent sun and mild weather the road was perfectly clear and open for some road riding. Having a paved two lane road to ourselves was nothing short of dreamy, not to mention the Teton’s looming over us. A great way to end a day that started out on the wrong foot.

I would like to once again thank everyone who helped put this movie tour on. From my sponsors, to the local shops, and to my friends in various places that helped coordinate this massive undertaking. It was a great experience and the local cycling communities definitely shared in the stoke for mountain biking!

Stats for Rebecca Rusch are coming soon.
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