March 14, 2022

7: Why Lael Wilcox Won’t Hold Hands at the Finish Line

In this Episode

Sara welcomes Ultra-endurance bike rider and racer, Lael Wilcox, to discuss her unconventional success in ultra racing and the joy of making people (ok, mostly men) think, “How is this even possible?!”

In 2016, she won the Trans Am Bike Race outright, making her the first female to do so. The Trans Am is the premier self-supported road race across the United States, traversing over 4200 miles.

She discusses:

  • The exhilaration of winning outright
  • Her strategy and logistics for winning such a grueling event
  • The power of beating the boys – “A Win for Womankind”
  • A woman’s capacity for resilience and grit
  • What it was like being constantly doubted and questioned
  • Handling the physical and mental aspects of pain and how she made friends with it

Lael also runs Tucson GRIT and Anchorage GRIT (girls riding into tomorrow), a cycling mentorship program, for girls ages 11-13. They ride together for six weeks, with a build-up to a camp-out ride. Her true passion? Getting more girls and women to “give it a go.” She shares her advice with parents of young girls, and even older women who want to achieve their own epic adventures.

Find mentors and start small. Do things that will build your confidence. Then, before you know it, you’ll be riding across the country in jean shorts beating the boys across the line.

Lael is a keynote speaker at the 2022 Women’s Performance Summit – it’s a talk you won’t want to miss.

Episode and Sponsor Resources

Lael Wilcox Instagram

Aprés Delight– Small batch, organic CBD sexual intimacy products. Because you deserve to feel good, love your body and what you can do with it, and understand and experience all of the joy it brings you. Use code:performancefor 20% offat https://apresdelight.com/

Inside Tracker– 20% the entire Inside Tracker store at https://info.insidetracker.com/feisty

Register for the Feisty Women’s Performance Summit– March 25th-27th

LiveFeisty.com – the Home of Live Feisty Media

Support all of Live Feisty Podcast Partners

Latest Episodes

March 26, 2025
219: Menopausal Hormone Therapy: Managing Side Effects with Carla DiGirolamo, MD, PhD (Episode 219)
March 25, 2025
240: The Low Down on Mid South with Meg Fisher (Episode 208)
March 19, 2025
218: Building Strength & Pushing Limits after 40 with Steph Gaudreau (Episode 218)

Go to Top