Rebecca Rusch
Rebecca Rusch is a world champion athlete, Emmy Award winner, and entrepreneur who’s journey of resilience and leadership inspires teams and individuals to embrace an athlete’s mindset, pursue their own personal podiums, and redefine peak performance.
With over three decades of unparalleled success, Rebecca has become an icon in ultra-endurance sports, pushing the boundaries of human endurance and resilience. Her achievements span mountain biking, adventure racing, climbing, and paddling, including setting records at the Leadville 100 MTB and Iditarod Trail Invitational, summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro by bike, and being the first person to ride the entire 1,200-mile Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Beyond her competitive career, Rebecca has won an Emmy Award for her documentary film, Blood Road, is a bestselling author of Rusch to Glory, and is an inspirational keynote speaker. Through her Be Good™ Foundation, she leverages the power of the bike to transform lives and foster community and global impact.
Recognized as one of the top 40 women in sport by Outside and one of the 50 most influential people in American cycling, she is the only athlete to be inducted into both the Mountain Bike and Gravel Cycling Halls of Fame. Whether inspiring from the stage, consulting on peak performance, or advocating for mental and physical health, Rebecca brings unparalleled passion, wisdom, and grit, making her one of today’s most compelling voices in resilience and personal growth
Career Storyline
30+
Years in endurance sports
7
World Championship Titles
1
Emmy Award
2
Cycling Hall of Fame Inductions
“When Angela Duckworth talks about Grit, she holds up a picture of Rebecca. When Chuck Norris is about to quit, he calls Rebecca. When young children hold out for two marshmallows instead of just one it’s because someone whispered “REBECCA RUSCH” in their ear. Inspiration, Vision, and Grit make her powerful and unique!”
Blood Road is a 2017 documentary film directed by Nicholas Schrunk and produced by Red Bull Media House. It stars endurance mountain biker Rebecca Rusch, Vietnamese cyclist Huyen Nguyen and cartographer Don Duvall. The film chronicles the journey of Rusch traversing over 1,200 miles (1,900 km) on bicycle along the Ho Chi Minh trail to the site where her father, a US Air Force F-4 fighter pilot, was shot down in Laos 40 years earlier. It won numerous best of festival awards and a News & Documentary Emmy Award in 2018
Awards and
Recognition
2020
World Bicycle Relief Trailblazer Award
2019, 2021
2x Female Winner - Iditarod Trail Invitational Fat Bike Race
2022
Inducted into Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame
2019
Inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
“I have always been fascinated by those who operate on the edge, push the envelope, redefine sports and industries. I wanted to visually portray the beauty and intensity of athletes while answering the question “WHY”? My criteria: They needed to be the best in the world at what they do. They needed to be true role modes/heros–no ego and just simply fantastic people. Rebecca fulfilled the requirements in spades!”