With a name like Wheeler, you’d think there would be an obvious affinity for the bicycle, but it took Jennifer a while to discover cycling. Over the course of the past year she has rocketed up the racing categories by soloing to win after win. Her success on the bike this year has unfortunately been punctuated by the lowest of lows with a fractured collarbone, and an emergency removal of a gigantic tumor in her belly. Jennifer wrapped up a tumultuous 2010 season with a professional contract with Team TIBCO.
Age: 30
Education:
All the normal stuff and then a Master’s in English
Employment/Work/Career:
Professional Cyclist–Woo hoo!! And in the off season, an Instructional Designer for a small eLearning company, MediaPro.
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A stationary Jennifer Wheeler. Photo Credit: Jeff Dunn Photography.
Year started cycling:
April of 2009. My first race was at Marymoor Thursday nights in a borrowed Recycled Cycles kit (team uniform) from my friend. I soon after joined Hagens Berman and raced my first road race at the Ballard Crit. I had no idea what “hold your line meant”–sorry gals. I just stayed on the front and went after the Cupcake Royale primes (pronounced “preem”; a prize for a mid-race sprint).
How did you get into cycling?
I visited Erik Moen for a running injury and he encouraged me to try track racing. A year or so later my friend, Randy Salamon, showed me the ropes of track races, sold me a bike for cheap, and away I went.
What were your athletic experiences before cycling?
I ran competitively for 13 years, including Division 1 cross-country and track in college at Eastern Kentucky University–I always wanted to go to the Olympics in running but unfortunately, I don’t and will never have distance runner legs–or a booty for that matter, but at least it gave me stellar endurance and a high tolerance for pain.
Jennifer striding the 5K at the 2001 Ohio Valley Conference Track Championships.
I also had a small stint in roller derby as “Arsenio Brawl” for the Rat City Rollergirls.
What does your yearly cycling schedule look like?
I generally track my riding time in hours. Depending on the time of year, I’ll ride anywhere from 12-24 hours a week.
Which other sports do you do? What kind of cross-training do you do?
All my other sporting equipment is collecting dust. I made a commitment to cycling and am too scared of getting injured. It’s not worth it to me. I recently started lifting weights and am trying to tolerate yoga. I am working on patience–which apparently is required in yoga. Harumph!
What bike(s) are you currently riding?
Until January, I will continue to ride my Blue AC1. Then I will ride a Specialized Amira for Team Tibco/To the Top. I can’t wait to try the womens-specific frame–I’ve heard great things about them. When it’s dry out, I also ride a sweet Teschner track bike provided by USA Cycling–a big thanks to Benjamin Sharp for that.
Any other cycling gear you love at the moment?
I love my Specialized Ruby Saddle. I own 3 of them, one for my race bike, one for my time trial bike, and another for my track bike. It’s not just a brand plug–it’s actually an awesome, lightweight but comfortable race saddle.
Tell us about some of your cycling highlights; what were some key successes that led to the pro contract?
I finished 5th at Crit Nationals, 18th in the Nationals Road Race. 10th in the crit at the Cascade Cycling Classic, 13th in the Prologue, 20th in the Road Race. These were deep fields and since I had little experience racing with pros, placing consistently next to some big names opened some eyes. When talking to TIBCO, I think my results definitely helped, but they were more interested in my potential and how I will develop in 2011 and beyond.
Speaking of the pro contract, tell us about the trials and tribulations of getting all of the pieces in place to make it happen.
Last October I told my coach, Beth Lyndon-Griffith, that I wanted to go pro. She said, “Easy, tiger, you need to upgrade to a Cat 2 first” so I could actually participate in races in the national calendar.
Starting the 2010 season at Mason Lake #1 as a Cat 3, I used the race as a test to see if I had trained hard enough and if I had what it took mentally to reach my goals for the season. I pushed as hard as I could, and though I couldn’t walk afterward and had to spent the evening in an ice bath, my victory provided me with the confidence that I was capable of big things.
After that my team and I had a series of successful races leading up to Walla Walla. After the first two stages, I had the leader’s jersey going into the crit and unfortunately crashed, broke my collarbone, and got a concussion. I woke up in the ambulance, assuring the medical staff that I had insurance–ha!
The fractured collarbone set me back, but Dr. Matt Oseto, plated me up and I was racing less than 8 weeks later. Gradually recovering as the summer rolled by, I raced Nature Valley Grand Prix–thanks to Michael Engleman who got me a guest ride spot on Freewheel Bikes, US Nationals, and the Cascade Cycling Classic. I was starting to feel normal by the end of Cascade and had high hopes for track nationals…when I started to notice some bloating–which I initially thought was just a sensitivity to soy. It turned out I actually had a sizeable, pliable bump in my stomach. After an awesome weekend at the track, I went to the doctor the next Monday and was rushed to surgery just a day later.
The diagnosis was an ovarian tumor stretching into my stomach cavity, something called Borderline Cancer–which is just as confusing as it sounds–but the important thing is that I am healthy and need no further treatment. I was back on the bike 10 days later and have definitely had some ups and downs during recovery, including a battle scar that resembles a huge zipper down my stomach.
But overall I think that going through these events proved that I am able to face obstacles, focus on the positive when things go sour–even though, trust me, there were definitely lows, and keep pushing towards my goals. And I think perserverance is a huge trait that pro teams are looking for because no bike season will ever be predictable.
How do you think the pro contract fits into your overall career/life path?
It’s a big change from the routine I’ve followed up until now. I definitely have followed the “low-risk” path in my life.
In high school, my focus was on preparing for college and I earned a full scholarship for academics and running, so my college days consisted of keeping this scholarship by studying and training all year round–I was the boring kid who got good grades and drank three times a year–if I was feeling “crazy!” I started graduate school a week after graduation. Two weeks after grad school I got my first salaried job and have been working non-stop since.
When I decided I wanted to take a risk and stray from the traditional path by trying for a pro contract, I became a contractor in my job to allow me flexibility in my training. I also sold all my furniture, gave my dog to a trusted coworker, and moved in with a friend (who I am so grateful for, thank you, thank you) so I could be mobile. And now that I have signed a contract to be a bicycle racer I’m definitely playing it by ear on how I’ll get by next year. But it’s worth it to me to follow a dream to be a professional athlete. I can always go back to my day job in my late 30s.
How will your training change now that you’re a pro bike racer?
I’ve accomplished my goal to go pro and now have my sights set on getting in the best shape of my life so I can contribute to our team.
I’ve stepped my training up to the next level and hired former pro cyclist Dotsie Bausch from Empower Coaching Systems to coach me. She is a six-time national champion and world record holder in the team pursuit and has loads of experience in women’s road racing.
We will be working on not just my training but also the mental, nutritional, and skills aspect of racing. When you want to race at a high caliber, I hear you need to really hone in on the little things, as the 2-5% matter at this level.
So if you see me checking my pulse randomly or in parking lots jumping curbs, practicing track stands, or picking up bottles while on my bike, you’ll know I’m enaging in super pro and scientific behaviors.
This summer you got a modeling gig with Smartwool. You must have some very photogenic ankles. When will we start seeing you in print and on the web?
I assure you, it wasn’t the ankles they were after….
Yes, I did a day modeling gig for Smartwool cycling clothes. You may recognize my legs, butt, or shoulders, as they cropped me at the neck. In the Spring of 2011, you can point at a torso in the catalog and say, hey I know that girl. It will be as exciting as knowing a hand model, guaranteed.
Tell us about the various injuries and surgeries you had this year.
1. Collarbone Fracture and Repair complete with Vertigo and cracked bicycle frame.
2. Foreign Object lodged in my finger–still there and movable.
3. Giant tumor in my ovary with 8-inch zipper down my stomach to remove said growth, ovary, and my appendix.
Where is your favorite scar tissue?
The “Zipper.”
Do you have any advice for women getting into cycling or thinking about racing?
I think people often unnecessarily put limitations on what they’re capable of. They say “someday” I want to… well, how about now? In 2004, one of my friends had a tragic accident and it really changed my life. I realized that there’s no time like the present and all the greatness in life that you want to accomplish should start now–not “someday”–as it could all slip away in a split second.
To achieve all that you want, you have to set lofty goals and actually be able to tell other people these goals with conviction. If you can’t say them out loud and be willing to accept the doubters–and also embrace the supporters–you may not believe in every depth of your person that you are capable and, therefore, you’ll never unlock your potential. I think that once you truly believe in yourself and your dream, you can make anything happen.
The Velocity Blog’s “Rider Profiles” highlight the accomplishments of some of our amazing local cycling athletes, and provides insight into their lives that may inspire us all.
