Olympic Gold At 31: How This Harvard Grad Mastered A New Sport In Just 6 Years And Made History For The U.S.

Kristen Faulkner, 31, became the first U.S. woman to claim gold in the Olympic road race in 40 years, following Connie Carpenter’s win in 1984. The Americans won the 2024 Paris Olympics.

What's remarkable about Faulkner’s win is that she has only been competitive in the sport for six years. Originally from the small community of Homer, she was always athletic and did quite a lot of hiking and rowing. She became part of Harvard University’s women’s crew team before graduating in 2016.

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After moving to New York to work as a venture capitalist, Faulkner felt the lack of outdoor activities, which were such a big part of her life. “I still needed that outdoor fix,” she says in a recent interview with NBC News. That craving drove her to cycling, and in 2017, she began to train seriously.

It wasn’t an easy road for Faulkner to the Paris Olympics. She wasn't even projected to make the U.S. Olympic team until fellow cyclist Taylor Knibb decided to focus on time trial and triathlon. It was then that they called up Faulkner to take her spot. “This is a dream come true,” Faulkner said following her victory. “I’m still looking at that finish line sign, wondering how my name got there."

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Faulkner took a chance and quit her finance career to cycle full-time. Early in 2021, she decided to do it, telling herself it would only be a temporary detour from professional life. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, she said, “I was like, this will be a two, three-year thing.” Then came the day when the sport became more than just a temporary pursuit.

Now riding for the American Continental Women’s Team EF-Oatly-Cannondale, Faulkner has developed a passion for cycling. She rides about 50 miles a day and fell in love with the competitiveness and camaraderie of training that goes with being part of the world of professional athletics. 

“I learned how to calculate risks and assess risks,” she said of how her venture capitalist past helped her be successful in the sport. “When I’m racing, that is my mindset: What’s the risk-reward ratio? Knowing when to go all in.”

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But Faulkner’s road has not been paved with roses. Last year, she was hit by a car during training in California and suffered a fractured shin bone. She laid off riding for three months and feared her cycling career was over. “I said I’d only do the road race if I felt strong and felt I had a chance of a medal,” Faulkner told The Associated Press. “I knew that would be a tough race, but if I was racing, I was racing to win.”

The 98-mile road race in Paris was grueling, with its hilly routes and a finish at the Trocadero in front of the Eiffel Tower. Faulkner believes her Alaskan upbringing gave her the strength and resilience to fight back from injury and compete on the world stage. “It’s never a matter of if I’ll keep going. It’s just a matter of how,” she told NBC News.

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