Gwen Inglis
2009 COLORADO 2x STATE CRITERIUM CHAMPION !
Hometown: currently reside in Lakewood, CO (grew up in Denver, Michigan, and Chicago)
Education: B.S. in Accounting, Calvin College, 1996
Occupation: Bean Counter (aka CPA)
Discipline: primarily road
Strengths: TBD! I wouldn’t say I’m particularly good at any one road discipline… So perhaps my greatest strengths on the road are my mind and my determination!
Former Teams: MOB Cyclery/RMCEF (2008), Pro Design/24 Hour Fitness (2005-2007)
Category: 2 (road)
Years Racing: 5 years
I am mentoring Holly and Hillery on our CAT 4 team!
Objectives: Have fun (of course!)… Race consistently (placing at least one team member in a top finishing spot each race)… Help promote the sport of cycling for women… Take chances (you never know what could happen unless you try!) … Improve my sprint (actually, develop a sprint first!)
Favorite race:
Admirable athlete: Too many to choose from… I admire any athletes who show dedication to their respective sport, continually challenge themselves to reach the next level, maintain a positive and determined attitude, are true team players, and who graciously learn from their mistakes.
Unique information or story: Having been a collegiate athlete, I needed something after graduation to keep me fit and to satisfy my competitive nature. So I started running. I ran local road races of various distances, mostly 5Ks, and eventually marathons (I always said I would NEVER run a marathon, but I got hooked after my 1st one). Shortly after I moved back to Colorado from Chicago, I decided to buy a bike after watching a good friend of mine race his. Although he wanted me to try road racing, I initially just rode for fun and also attempted a couple of triathlons. I am a terrible swimmer though (seriously – I sink!), so to this day, my rule is that if the swim is more than ½ mile, I opt for the duathlon!…Anyway, through the same friend who introduced me to cycling, I met Mike (now my husband) who was (is) also a competitive cyclist. (Our 1st date was a century ride!) He eventually got me to try racing, and I couldn’t help but love it…Many thanks to Bobby and Mike for their encouragement and instruction over the years!
Most embarrassing race moment: The embarrassing race moment that comes to mind actually occurred AFTER a race…We had just finished the Hugo road race, and my teammate and I were riding back to the car. Some teammates racing in another category were coming towards us from the opposite direction as they were finishing their race. As I was cheering for them, I somehow managed to clip my teammate’s wheel, and consequently I went straight to the pavement (and shortly after to the ER)! I will forever have a scar on my shoulder as a reminder. Who crashes AFTER a race?! Only me.
