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athlete profile
Rebecca Rusch
Location: Ketchum, Idaho
Sports: Ultra endurance mountain
biking and adventure racing have
been my career sports for over 10
years. I also Nordic ski, backcountry
ski, climb, run, etc...
Age: Whatever it is…it is not slowing
her down!
Occupation: Full time professional
endurance athlete and part time firefighter/EMT.
Athletic Background: I was a tomboy
growing up and played in the dirt in the
back yard. My first experience with
organized sports was joining the high
school cross country running team. I
had never been exposed to athletics
and no one in my family was athletic.
I joined the team because you got a
free sweat suit and my neighbor told
me I would never get fat if I joined the
team. That was the beginning of my
athletic career and I’ve never looked
back. I’ve been involved in so many
different sports and have excelled in
many of them, not out of talent, but
out of staying power and the ability to
work hard. From running, I went to rock climbing, outrigger canoeing, kayaking, adventure
racing, cycling, cross-country skiing and backcountry skiing. I’ve competed at the elite level in
almost all of these sports and hold world champion titles in 3 of them and National titles in 4. I
never set out to be a professional athlete, but I did take advantage of opportunities that were thrust
in front of me to join teams or get involved. The common thread that has woven through all of
those sports is the team camaraderie that inspires me. Even in solo sports such as cross-country
skiing, I get my enjoyment out of training with friends. Adventure racing and paddling were very
much team sports and I thrive being part of a group of like minded people who are all depending
on each other. I have reinvented my athletic career multiple times based on what was available
to me at the time. My latest venture, ultra endurance cycling, sprouted after I lost my adventure
racing team sponsor. Red Bull, my individual sponsor, stuck by me and told me to do whatever
Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 19
Photo by Liam Doran