Ep 05: Kate Courtney is a World Champion, World Cup Overall Champion, and 2021 Olympic XCO Mountain Biking Hopeful

The world of women's cross country cycling is more exciting than ever and one of the reasons for this is the amazing Kate Courtney, who joins us on today's show! Kate is a world champion and was also crowned the overall world champion for the year of 2019 after a string of amazing results, and now her sights are set firmly on the Olympics in Tokyo, scheduled for later this year. As arguably the most exciting cyclist in the world at present, it is an honor to speak to Kate about her recent victories, current training regimen, and how she has managed the ups and downs of riding through the pandemic. We talk about indoor rides and her thoughts on the new technologies that make this more possible, engaging, and effective. We also get into the role of her family in motivating her and keeping her on track with her goals. Kate gives great insight into the life of a traveling competitor, talking about experiences of racing in Europe and the practices that have made these trips more manageable. We also discuss sports psychology and the importance of this aspect of preparation for the highest levels of athleticism, before our conversation turns to the important topic of more gender equality in cycling and beyond. We finish off this fascinating chat with some practical questions around training environments, bike choice, and the people that keep Kate inspired!