I've ridden for Kentwood Schwinn, Fun Promotions, Bissell and Priority Health. I started my cycling career as a mountain biker 15 years ago. I decided to try road racing 5 years ago and I have been doing it ever since. I have always been active and had a passion for competition. What keeps me motivated is that I set personal goals and work hard to reach them. I also really enjoy the camaraderie of the sport.

One race that I will never forget was a trip the Priority Health Girls made to the Tour of Grandview. A friend has told us about the race we we did not know exactly what were in for. We thought we were going to a road race. It turned out to be a criterium. We had raced a criterium the day before, then packed the van and headed to Ohio. Your morning preparaton is a lot different for a criterium that a road race. We did everything wrong. It was not until we got to registration that we realized our mistakes. We laughed about it as we prepared for the race but I think we were all a little scared and uneasy. The course was very intense. It was longer than normal with a very big climb on one side, and an equal downhill on the other. The field was stacked with competition from several professional teams because the prize money was generous. We had 6 Priority Health girls in the field, our strongest being MacKenzie Woodring. As the race started Mackenzie was off the front with two others from the field. It did not take long for her to drop the others and now face the challenge of a solo effort. The pack was non-existent at this point. The group had blown apart as they tried hard to chase down Mackenzie. No one in the race or in the sideline believed that she could hold off the group in such a grueling course. During the race I could hear the announcer giving the splits. She was putting time on the chase group. We were not going to catch her. She won the race that day and shocked a lot of people. It was an amazing display of strength and determination.

Ambitious, diligent, disciplined.

I prefer to eat solid foods when I am training or racing. I have been known to pack PB&J sandwiches in my pockets. In general, I think it's important to eat a variety of foods. I try to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegatables each day and drink lots of water. Your body will crave what it needs, it's important to listen to it.

I love riding my bike. I am motivated by the physical and emotional well-being that it gives me. It helps me to stay in shape, and it helps me to clear my mind from the stresses of life. The single best thing about riding my bike has been all fo the friendships that I have made along the way. I think that when people are getting started in cycling they can get discouraged by comparing themselves to others. When I started riding, I would do about 3.5 miles on a mountain bike course, or about 10 miles on the road. I have built up my endurance over the years. It did not happen all at once. Now a 50mile ride is about and average day.

My single most important goal is to foster our young riders and continue to teach them about racing.

The thing I love most about competing is the bond that I have built with my teammates.