Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Bolton.
Hi Chelsea, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Illinois as a runner, competing in cross country and track, which allowed me the opportunity to continue running at the Division I level through an athletic scholarship. I had a very disappointing collegiate running career, and I ended up graduating in three years. I pursued a dual master’s program in graduate school, while also finishing up my cross country and track eligibility until I broke my hip. My hip injury caused me to abandon all my running dreams and goals, and I threw myself into nonprofit work. I spent most of my 20’s living paycheck to paycheck, working multiple jobs, and volunteering as much as I could in Honduras, Costa Rica, and Indiana.
After experiencing the nonprofit burnout, I accepted a role at the University of Colorado, and my westward move was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I immediately fell in the love with the mountains, the athletic community of Boulder, Colorado, and found joy being outside. Since I was finally in an outdoor mecca, I also developed a passion for trail running, and after or before work hikes.
I met my future husband in Boulder, and he was an avid mountain biker. For a while, I would run next to him (or behind!) while he mountain biked. I remember thinking how amazing of a sport mountain biking was- I was 26 and had never even seen mountain bikes before- and could not believe he could bike on crazy steep, narrow, rocky, rooty singletrack trails.
As might be expected, I once again found myself dealing with a running injury, and he let me borrow his mountain bike. I finally experienced mountain biking, and quickly saw that I could cover more ground on a bike than on foot. I was hooked!
The competitor in me immediately wanted to train to be able to race mountain bikes, especially when I learned mountain biking was an Olympic sport.
I competed for a year in Colorado before Covid, and then we moved to Park City, Utah so we could spend more time on mountain bike trails.
Now I am back to working for a nonprofit while competing nationally and internationally on my mountain bike- a bike gifted to me by some incredibly kind and generous Stay Park City Cycling members!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Funny enough, smooth is my latest mantra! I can’t say that my road has been smooth, but it has been a very long winding road that continues opening up to new climbs that I find myself unable to resist. Aside from the physical injury struggles, personal health struggles, family crises, and the normal life stuff, I think my biggest struggle has been the fact that I didn’t get on a mountain bike until I was 28. Having come from a running background, learning a skill sport like mountain biking as an adult is a big challenge. Every day I am still learning something new on the bike. I do believe that struggles and adversity make us stronger, so I keep telling myself I am still growing and getting stronger every day. It really is humbling learning something new, and it is really exciting to see the quick progress when sticking with that new thing!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a mountain biker, I specialize in long distance cross country mountain biking called Marathon Mountain Biking. I am definitely not known (working on it!) but I am good climber. I am most proud of sticking with mountain biking when I first started and could barely ride over a few small rocks, and it took a while for me to attempt mountainous singletrack. I also broke my shoulder on a mountain bike crash a year after beginning, and I am so glad I didn’t take that as a sign to give up. Instead, it made me work harder, taught me the importance of muscular strength for bone protection, and it has allowed me experience traveling the world in a super cool way! I absolutely love mountains, and since I mountain bike, I get to spend time in the world’s best mountains, competing in some amazing races in incredible places.
Since I grew up without mountains and without any knowledge of mountain biking even existing, I think my appreciation for the places this sport can go sets me apart. I absolutely love being outside, checking out new trails, seeing new mountains, and being as active as possible. Mountain biking is the perfect vehicle for all of this, and I am eternally grateful to my husband for getting me into the sport. While it is so challenging figuring out all the nuances of mountain biking, it is incredibly rewarding, and my hard work and determination has resulted me getting the opportunity to race around the world.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson has been to never give up on your dreams. I always wanted to be an athlete- first as an ice skater, then as a basketball player, then as runner. I thought my athletic dreams were over until I discovered mountain biking, and now I am finally getting to live the professional athlete life I always wanted- just in sport that I never could have imagined!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://substack.com/@chelsbolton
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chels.bolton/
- Other: https://stayparkcitycycling.com/
