USA’s double Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner: From investor to cycling glory

Kristen Faulkner’s journey to the top of the cycling world has been anything but conventional. At 31, she rides for UCI Women's Continental Team EF–Oatly–Cannondale and is the reigning USA National Road Race Champion. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, she made history by becoming the first American woman to win two gold medals in two different disciplines during the same Games, dominating the women's individual road race and team pursuit track cycling events. Even more impressively, she defeated the likes of Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky, in doing so.

It’s an accomplishment that stands out not just for its rarity, but for the remarkable path she took to get there. Faulkner only began competing in cycling in 2017, an incredibly late start by professional standards. What’s more, she was balancing a successful career in venture capital while making the switch to elite sport. Born in Homer, Alaska, Faulkner graduated from Harvard in 2016 with a degree in computer science and spent her early professional life as an investment associate at Bessemer Venture Partners.

Leaving behind a high-paying and secure career in Silicon Valley to pursue cycling, a sport where most athletes earn very little, is an extraordinary leap of faith. But it’s one that paid off, and now Faulkner has revealed her journey in an episode of The Odd Tandem podcast.

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Faulkner’s rise

Faulkner's rise in cycling didn't begin until she had already established herself in the business world. In 2018, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and joined Team Tibco–Silicon Valley Bank in 2020, marking her first professional cycling team. At the same time, she was working full-time at Threshold Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. It’s hard to fathom how she balanced the demands of her job with her growing ambitions in cycling, but her performance on the bike began to turn heads.

Despite only starting competitive cycling in 2017, Faulkner quickly progressed through the ranks. In 2023, she won the women’s road time trial at the Pan American Games, and just a few months later, it was announced that she would join EF–Oatly–Cannondale for the 2024 season. Her story is one of an athlete who, against all odds, decided to switch careers and pursue a sport that isn’t exactly known for financial security.

As Faulkner herself has said, "If I want to go to the Olympics, I have to do it now." That mindset drove her to take a leap that few would have dared, but her story serves as proof that it was worth the risk.

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Kristen Faulkner’s entry into the cycling world was underpinned by her athletic roots in rowing. As a rower, she developed an exceptional level of cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, and mental toughness, skills that translated perfectly into cycling. Both rowing and cycling are endurance sports that place a heavy demand on the aerobic system. Rowers need strong legs and back muscles to generate power, much like cyclists do, and the repetitive nature of both sports requires mental resilience as well as physical endurance.

It’s no surprise that several athletes have found success transitioning between these two sports. Notably, New Zealand’s Hamish Bond, a two-time Olympic gold medallist in rowing, successfully switched to cycling and even competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Both disciplines reward an athlete’s ability to suffer through intense physical pain for extended periods, and Faulkner’s background in rowing gave her the mental edge she needed to endure the gruelling nature of professional cycling.

“I enjoyed rowing, but I think nowadays I enjoy running a bit more,” Faulkner shared in a candid moment during her interview. Though she’s no longer rowing competitively, her fitness and mental discipline from the sport have helped her rise rapidly in the cycling world.

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Making history in Paris

Faulkner’s Olympic success was unprecedented. She ended a 40-year drought for the U.S. by winning the women’s road race at the Paris 2024 Olympics. It wasn’t just the victory that made headlines; it was how she handled the pressure of the Games. Faulkner wasn’t even originally selected for the team, and her last-minute inclusion turned out to be a masterstroke.

Reflecting on the emotional rollercoaster of her Olympic summer, Faulkner noted: "It was kind of a whole rollercoaster of emotions, from not being selected for the team originally, to winning double gold." In a sport where mental fortitude is just as important as physical prowess, Faulkner’s ability to refocus and deliver on the biggest stage is a testament to her resilience.

Faulkner made history with double gold in Paris

Perhaps even more impressive was her performance in the women’s team pursuit. Faulkner, who had only started competing on the track a year before the Olympics, found herself part of a world-class team aiming for gold. "Team pursuit was one of the highest-pressure moments of my life, if I did anything wrong at the start, the entire race is destroyed." With the weight of her team on her shoulders, Faulkner pushed through the pressure, helping lead Team USA to gold.

These achievements also highlight just how versatile an athlete Faulkner is. Road cycling and track cycling require different skill sets, yet Faulkner mastered both in a short period. Winning gold in two vastly different disciplines at the same Olympics is a rare feat, and Faulkner stands as the first American woman in history to do so.

What sets Faulkner apart from other elite athletes isn’t just her late start in cycling but the career she left behind. In an era where cycling remains financially precarious for many, Faulkner’s decision to give up a lucrative job in venture capital is remarkable. While athletes in high-profile sports like football or basketball can earn millions, most cyclists earn relatively modest incomes, often supplemented by team stipends or small sponsorship deals.

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It takes incredible self-belief and passion to leave a lucrative salary for the uncertain world of professional cycling, where only the very top earners make a comfortable living. “I left a six-figure job to go make $7,000 a year,” Faulkner said in the interview, pointing to the stark financial realities of her career switch.

But the allure of chasing a childhood dream outweighed the financial risks. "At 26, I realized life is short, if I want to go to the Olympics, I have to do it now." Many athletes share the same sentiment, but few have the courage to follow through, particularly when the financial stakes are high. Faulkner’s decision highlights the lengths some athletes go to in order to pursue their dreams.

Who else has made the switch?

Faulkner’s path from venture capitalist to Olympic champion is one of the most unusual career switches in recent sports history. While other athletes have transitioned between careers or sports, few have done so as successfully as Faulkner. For example, Esther Vergeer, a Dutch wheelchair tennis player, transitioned from a promising career in basketball to become a tennis legend, winning four Paralympic gold medals. Similarly, the Hamish Bond found success after switching from rowing to cycling. Yet Faulkner’s switch from an entirely different profession to an elite sporting career is perhaps even more striking.

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Her story resonates because it shows the power of reinvention, a willingness to start over in pursuit of a long-held dream, even when the odds aren’t in one’s favour. Faulkner’s background in computer science and venture capital is worlds apart from the rigorous life of a professional cyclist, but her adaptability and relentless work ethic allowed her to excel in both fields.

What’s next for Kristen Faulkner?

Even after such a stellar 2024 season, Faulkner’s ambitions show no signs of slowing down. She’s already looking ahead to future goals, including the Tour de France Femmes and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. “I still have so much I want to accomplish as a cyclist. I’d love to win a stage at the Tour de France and compete in LA 2028,” Faulkner stated. Winning a stage in the Tour de France Femmes, where she finished as the highest-placing American rider, is at the top of her list.

As she looks ahead to the next phase of her career, Faulkner’s story will continue to inspire athletes and non-athletes alike, showing that with the right mindset, anything is possible.