My Career Defining Moment.

The pinnacle of my career.

In a career there are moments of greatness, glimpses of defeat, and years of memories.  Some days you wish never happened, and other days you wish this feeling will soon resurface.  I have raced my bike for 5 years, and I have finally reached the defining moment of my career.  I have never been more touched, more aware, or more alive than at this pinnacle moment.  I am not chewing into a gold medal on the top step of the podium, nor am I showered in champagne and victory salutes.  Although nothing is wrong with a little winning and some spraying bubbles. Absolutely nothing.

The defining moment of my career.  The day I could never even have imagined to its fullest.  This is the moment.

It wasn’t found in a cultural mecca, nor in an exotic place, it just happened in Moriarty, New Mexico.  Where even is that?  Why was this moment more different than any of my travels or victories?  Because I got to race side by side with my Grandfather, Paul Tetrick.  Who can say that?  This wasn’t the first time racing with him, and it won’t be the last.  But this was the first time I was able to race alongside of him, as an established professional cyclist, and a granddaughter overcoming the odds while accomplishing the dreams that a grandfather encouraged so long ago.

My moment. My pinnacle. My family.

Moriarty, New Mexico is the destination for all geeky time trialists (and I am a self-admitted geek).  My grandfather was destined to break the 20k 80+ USA National TT Record, and I was to race the 40k TT.  Grandaughter and Grandfather (and Granny too!) reunited in the high desert to try to find some speed Speed knows no age.

Example of FREE speed.

When prepping for your career defining moment, you need to have the right outfit.  In cyclist terms, your kit is often defined for you.  But just like a good pair of shoes can make the dress, a great set of wheels can escalate a time trial bike into a rocket ship.  Since I won’t be buying my “Grampy” shoes any time soon, he needed a set of wheels.  The only choice was Zipp.  Grampy’s last wheel purchase was somewhere around the early 1990’s, and it was time for an upgrade.

We gave my Grampy no choice but to ride a  Zipp Super-9 Disc Tubular, and Zipp 404 Firecrest Carbon Clincher front (both in the 650 option).  Believe me, he wanted no other choice. My choice was a Zipp 808 Firecrest Carbon Clincher and the Super-9 Carbon Clincher Disc.   It was Zipp Speed Weaponry made for the generations.

Speed is timeless.

We prepared and we raced.  Thank you Zipp for assisting in my career defining moment.  Fast wheels are timeless, and so is my Grampy.  My grandpa crushed the previous 20k 80+ USA National TT record and had a great PR (someone may have gone faster on that day as well, but that is beside the point).  My career reached its pinnacle at that moment.  Everything else from here on out is icing on the cake.  I was flooded with warm fuzzy feelings, with supreme pride and confidence, and extensive humility and perspective.  Greatness is found in family.  I will never forget this moment.

I hope this is only the beginning of the future of cycling.  Breaking speed and age barriers.  Loving unconditionally.  Never restricting a generation.  This is my pinnacle moment.  I could not be more proud, more bolstered, or more impacted.

What can I say?  Speed must run in the family.

Like Grampy like Ali.

Maybe we will choose to KEEP speed in the family.

Fastest woman, fastest Grampy and Granny.

 

 

Thank you Zipp.  Thank you Jennifer Buntz from Duke City Wheelmen and Randy!

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