Q&A
How did you get started mountain biking?
I had always ridden bikes as a kid, but soccer was my game in school. I didn't make the soccer team at college, and happened to go to a cycling club meeting. I raced on the road for nine years and made the 1996 Olympic team. That was my big dream. But then I felt I needed something new. So I thought, why not mountain biking?

How different is mountain biking compared to cycling?
Mountain biking is a different culture. It is laid back. The mountain bike competitions are usually held at ski resorts in the off-season. It is easier to relax in the mountain bike atmosphere than at a cycling road race -- downtown in some large city, on pavement, and it's hot.

Is it hard to train for mountain biking?
I train a lot with a heart rate monitor. My heart rate is definitely through the roof at times. I don't gauge the monitor during the race or training. I download it onto my computer afterward so I can review it.

You not only have to have big lungs and a big heart, you have to be strong in your upper body and lower back. You have to have countless hours and years on the bike and in the weight room.

When do you race mountain bikes?
My races are always on weekends, from March through September. I travel six to seven months a year. It is difficult to have normal relationships when the job you do is not so normal.

Do you get tired during the races?
When I'm on the bike suffering, I just say to myself that everybody else is hurting just as bad as I am, probably more than I am. The race lasts about two hours. The pain doesn't go away, but you can grunt your way through it. The strongest rider always wins the race.

The Olympic Spirit in YOU!
Alison Dunlap didn't make the soccer team at college, but that didn't stop her from trying another sport. Her obstacle became an opportunity. Here are examples of typical obstacles:

You doubt yourself or your capabilities. You get sick or injured. You start losing after you were winning. You don't have the best equipment. You move somewhere else. You fear failure.

Write down how you would overcome the obstacles listed above. What would you do? Who would you ask for help? How would you plan to overcome the obstacle? How can the obstacle become an opportunity for you?

More Interviews

With thanks to Bob Schaller. For more great stories about Olympians, ask your librarian about The Olympic Dream and Spirit, Vol. 1,2, and 3, with Mr. Schaller, and Awaken the Olympian Within compiled by John Naber.