When it comes to mountain biking, Kayley Burdine is considered one of the top visionaries in the sport, especially when it comes to her expertise in cross country mountain biking.
I was extremely honored and thrilled that she agreed to do this interview.
Growing up in Mobile, Alabama, according to Kayley, “there aren’t many activities for female athletes. I needed something competitive and fun in my life to make me feel complete, so mountain biking has really filled that void for me.“
She has taken her passion to new limits and is slowly becoming a force to reckon with in the world of professional cross country mountain biking.
In this interview, I wanted to learn more about what inspires her to keep going for excellence…
Welcome Kayley, to begin….
Could you tell us a little bit about how you first got started into cross-country mountain biking?
I actually got into mountain biking by accident really. I am a personal trainer and I am always looking for new ways to stay in shape and keep it interesting. I got tired of doing cardio at the gym so I wanted to do something outdoors. I hate running, so I figured I would give biking a try.
I knew nothing about the sport at the time, so I went to Wal-Mart and bought a mountain bike to start riding to work and around the neighborhood for exercise. I quickly found out, that those bikes don’t handle abuse very well, so after destroying 2 of them, I decided to go purchase an entry-level bike from an actual bike shop.
While at this bike shop, I met my good friend James Qualls, who gave me the rundown on what I needed for the type of riding I would be doing.
James also told me about some local trails that I had no idea even existed. I thought the idea of riding on some trails would be pretty cool, so I went out and gave it a shot.
It was very challenging at first, which is exactly what I wanted. I rode the trails for a couple of weeks before I went with a group. I enjoyed the group ride, because I am extremely competitive and I didn’t want to get left behind.
My friend Gabe told me after the ride, that I was pretty fast for a beginner, and that I should give racing a shot since I am so competitive. I thought about it, and said what the hell? Why not? 2 weeks later I registered for my first race in Mississippi as a Cat 3 (beginner) and finished in 3rd place! It was the hardest thing I had ever done!
I have never pushed myself so hard in my life and I was in love with the sport from that day forward!
You are without a doubt, an inspiration to people all around the world, if you had to choose one person who had the biggest impact over the course of your career and that inspired you, who would that be?
I would have to say my fiance, Dennis! He has been by my side from day one, pushing me, supporting me, and believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself!
So I never wanted to let him down, he is the reason I have made it as far as I have in the sport! I feel like it’s really important to have someone like that by your side, especially for those times when you start to doubt yourself and what you really want to do!
For someone interested in following your footsteps that wants to get into competitive mountain biking what advice or pearls of wisdom do you have?
The mountain biking community is fantastic!
The people are wonderful and very welcoming. It’s a great sport that allows you to get outside, stay in shape, enjoy nature, and also compete. The best advice I can give someone wanting to get into competitive mountain biking is, Keep it fun!
If you aren’t having fun then you will never be successful. It is also a lot of hard work, but you have to balance the 2 to make it work. To be a racer takes a different mindset in my opinion. You have to be competitive, you have to be determined to succeed. You can’t just go out there to ride, you have to go out there to win!
Every time I sign up for an event, my mentality is that I have a trophy waiting for me and someone is trying to take it away! If you are a true competitor, you want to be your absolute best at all times. If someone beats me, it lets me know that I need to work that much harder to get better, and I’m okay with that. They will have to face me again, and it will be a better version than they faced the previous time.
Get out there and Set goals for yourself. Have a dream and don’t let anyone stand in the way of that dream.
In mountain biking you start small (in a lower category) and you work your way to the top, so you must have that determination and drive to get you where you wanna go in the sport!
You can’t be scared to get beat, it’s going to happen, you just have to learn from it and move on!
What’s the most important lesson you have learned?
The absolute biggest lesson I have learned is to trust your instinct!!
If something doesn’t feel right to you, then it probably isn’t. This sport is just as much mental as it is physical.
In one sentence or phrase how would you define success?
Being better than you thought you could be, and achieving what you thought you could never achieve!
What was the best decision you have made thus far in your life either personally or professionally?
Buying a bicycle! In my hometown of Mobile, Alabama, there aren’t many activities for female athletes. I needed something competitive and fun in my life to make me feel complete, so mountain biking has really filled that void for me.
What was the most challenging or difficult decision you had to make?
Making the jump to the professional ranks was probably the toughest decision I have had to make. It’s really hard going from the local “fast chick” to showing up at major UCI events and getting your ass handed to you by the best in the world.
The pro process is a difficult one. It’s tough to start off at the top, you have to take your lumps for a couple of seasons at the bottom of the leader-board and work your way up! The courses are harder, the competition is tougher, and the training is exhausting.
You have to understand these things going into it if you want to make it. If you can’t handle that kind of pressure you will never make it.
Among all the accolades, races won, and records you have set, if you had to choose your proudest moment or accomplishment of your career what would that be?
I would have to say that earning Pro status after only 14 months of racing is definitely something I can hang my hat on. I started racing as a CAT3 in April 2014, raced myself through the ranks, and became the only professional women’s cyclist currently in my state.
Looking over your career thus far, is there anything you would have done differently or that you possibly regret?
Not trusting my instinct, and coming up short at the biggest race of the year. I picked a horrible time to try something different and change my training regimen, and it bit me hard for mountain bike nationals.
I saw it coming for weeks prior to the event, and against my better judgement, I continued with the plan that was put in place. My fitness was not where it needed to be and it showed. I vowed to never make that mistake again.
If something is working for you, do not change it in the middle of the season!
What does the future hold for Kayley Burdine? How will you continue to improve and expand?
I want to take everything I have learned thus far (good and bad) and apply it to the future. I want to continue to grow and improve as an athlete as well as a person.
I want to introduce as many women as possible into mountain biking by being a role model and inspiration to them. I also want to be known as one of the best pro women mountain bikers in the country and hopefully one day, the world.
I would love to compete in world cups and maybe even the Olympics!
What question should I have asked you that I didn’t ask? Why is that question important and what is the answer?
The question that you should have asked and didn’t is; Besides all of the training, what has helped you make it this far?
My wonderful sponsors! When I became a CAT1 racer I was in need of major support.
Mountain bike racing is not very big in my hometown. I tried to get support from a couple of local shops, but I wasn’t taken seriously and it was a huge gamble to sponsor a rider that competes in a sport that not many people in the area are interested in.
One day I was contacted by Phil Hooper the owner of a shop called Eastern Shore Cycles. (www.thebike-shop.com) He said he would like me to come by the shop for a chat. He believed in me and my goals, and he shared my interest in introducing more women into the sport.
We both agreed on terms and I left his shop as a sponsored rider!
My very first sponsor, I was so excited!
Since then, he has gone above and beyond all expectations as a shop owner, sponsor, and friend. Had it not been for the support of such an amazing shop like Eastern Shore Cycles, I would not have been able to make it this far.
I have to also thank 1on1 Personal Training in Mobile, Alabama for keeping me strong, and Shredded Supplements in Dallas, Texas for making sure I have all the supplements I need to keep my performance where it needs to be.
This question is important because, without a terrific support system, even the best athletes can fail! See you on race day!
You can visit and learn more about Kayley at her site: http://www.kayleyburdine.com/
You can also visit her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/KayleyBurdine
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