Georgia Gould is a 2X Olympian, Bronze Medalist and 4X USA National Champion professional cyclist.
Georgia has been a fixture on the international mountain bike scene for the past five years. She represented Team USA at seven World Championships, two Olympic Games and two continental championships. Her palmares include an Olympic bronze medal in London 2012, multiple US national championships and scores of race and series wins. She has been an outspoken advocate for women in cycling, and she currently serves as one of two mountain bike representatives on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Athletes’ Commission.
Georgia began riding mountain bikes after moving to Ketchum, Idaho in 1999. In 2004 she moved into the professional ranks, hired an experienced coach, and secured a sponsorship. In 2005, she decided to try full-time racing while still working part-time. She and her husband Dusty drove to all the National Mountain Bike Series races in their van, camping along the way and returning to their home in Idaho between races. Consistent top ten finishes put her in 9th place overall in both the short track and cross country series. That autumn she earned her first podium finish at a national-level race at the USGP of Cyclocross in Watsonville, CA.
In 2008, Georgia stood on the podium at four World Cup races and represented USA at the Beijing Olympics, finishing eighth. That fall she won both the USGP of Cyclocross series and the North American Cyclocross Tour. 2012 marked Georgia’s most successful season to date: she won bronze at the London Olympic Games, bronze at the 2012 World Championships, stood on four World Cup podiums, finished fifth in the World Cup overall and successfully defended her National Championship title in the US.
Georgia lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband, their 28 bicycles, 5 chickens, a hive of bees and a garden full of vegetables.
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Favorite Exercise: Anything outside.
Favorite Fruit or Vegetable: Avocado
Favorite Way to Center: Cooking
Personal Motto: Better to try and fail than to never try at all.
Georgia’s Ideal Day:
- 7AM – Wake Up
- 730AM – Coffee & Snack
- 8AM – Trail Run
- 930AM – Breakfast
- 11AM – Backcountry motorcycle ride
- 4PM – Jump in a lake or river
- 6PM – Dinner
- 7PM – Drinks with friends
- 10PM – Bed
What gets you out of bed every morning?
The balance of having a routine that I enjoy mixed with new adventures. The expected, and a bit of the unexpected!
What is the most important part of your daily routine?
Getting enough quality sleep. Especially as I get older, I really notice how my sleep quality affects my day-to-day. My mood, motivation to exercise and productivity are all influenced by how I am sleeping. It’s something I take seriously.
What is your #1 wellness habit?
Listen to your body. Pay attention to how you feel (before and after eating certain foods; before, during and after exercise, when you wake up, when you go to sleep). Learning how your body reacts to all these thing will help you to optimize your own wellness.
What is the best piece of health advice you’ve ever received?
Eat real food. Don’t try to get nutrition from supplements and vitamins.
What is your favorite part about living a healthy lifestyle?
Feeling good and feeling strong are the best parts of living a healthy lifestyle. Being active is an important way for me to relieve stress, get some alone time, challenge myself, problem solve and know that I am taking care of my body.
Describe your sleep ritual.
I generally go to bed around 10pm. I like to unwind and read a book. Sometimes it takes me a few minutes, other times I might read for an hour, but I find reading helps me to fall asleep faster.
Also, I don’t look at my phone or computer while I’m in bed, and I don’t have a TV in my bedroom.
If you could give one piece of health advice to your future kids, what would it be and why?
Don’t go on restrictive diets, they tend to not be sustainable in the long run. Eating healthy is pretty simple, and it can be delicious! The one rule I use is “more whole foods, less crap.” I try to make the bulk of my diet come from fruits and veggies, whole grains and organic eggs and meat. Can I still have treats? Yes! Can I still eat in restaurants? Yes! Eating healthy shouldn’t be stressful.
Georgia Gould is a USA Olympian, Bronze Medalist and 4X National Champion professional cyclist. For more inspiration from Georgia, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and check out her website Georgia Gould.