by By Dan Ninham
Shayna Powless, 27, Oneida tribal member, is a professional cyclist for Team TWENTY24.
“I’ve been riding bikes from the time I started walking and have been racing professionally as a road and mountain biker since I was 19,” said Shayna.
Shayna talked about being a professional cyclist in our pandemic world. She said: “The past year and a half has been rough for everyone due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As an athlete, the only racing I participated in last year, other than the Valley of the Sun Stage Race in February, was on Zwift, a virtual cycling platform where you ride and compete on a bike connected to a stationary trainer.”
“Early on in the pandemic, it was mentally tough to get used to the fact that virtual racing would be the only option for competing all year. However, the more I rode and competed on Zwift, the better I got and the more fun I had. Zwift is also a team sponsor of TWENTY24, so we were already planning to do some Zwift racing before the pandemic hit, but we definitely weren’t planning to have a full season centered on it!”
“In a way, Zwift saved me mentally and physically last year. I don’t think I would have had the same focus and drive to keep up with structured training had Zwift not been an option. It definitely helped keep my fire and competitive edge going.”
Despite the hardships of COVID and the lack of IRL racing and events, a lot of exciting things have happened since COVID hit both in the racing world and in her personal life.
“Eli, my fiance’ and member of the Ojibwe Nation, and I got our first house together and got engaged this past February,” said Shayna. “We’ve also been working on developing our Dreamcatcher Foundation (see: https://www.dreamcatcherfdn.org/founders). We also started to brainstorm ideas for our next camp which will hopefully be happening next summer as long as things are better with COVID.”
“Another big thing that happened was me starting my own cycling coaching business called ‘Powless Performance LLC’. As a coach, there is nothing I love more than helping people reach their fitness goals, and since coaching is something I have a huge passion for and see myself doing for many years down the road, I figured creating my own official business was the way to go,” added Shayna.
“In terms of racing and training, some big highlights from last year include getting to compete in the first ever virtual Tour de France where our team placed 2nd overall,” said Shayna. “We also raced as a team in the first ever Premier Racing League in which we placed 2nd overall, and getting the opportunity to represent the U.S. National team in the first ever Esports World Championships on Zwift.”
“It was quite amazing having the opportunity to race with some big names in the cycling world in all of these events and to be able to have an equal racing platform in terms of opportunity, prize money, and coverage with the men’s races,” said Shayna. “Ultimately, I’m so thankful for having Zwift throughout last year when there were little to no races in the real world. It not only helped me mentally, but also physically as well in terms of pushing my mental and physical boundaries due to the intense nature of racing.”
“Additionally, it was a great way for my teammates and I to continue racing together as a team amidst the lack of IRL races. It was a fun way to grow closer with many bonding moments between all the racing, group rides, meet-ups and Discord (group call) chats,” added Shayna.
More time in 2020 spent quarantining at home meant more time spent on other areas of Shayna’s life and more reflection on why she does what she does as both an athlete and a person.
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“This year, COVID has still been a big issue, but thankfully there have been more IRL races happening, most notably gravel events,” said Shayna. “Gravel is a new discipline that I started this year, and I find that it suits me very well as a rider. The events themselves are also such a blast and every race feels like an epic adventure.”
Two recent events on Shayna’s race calendar have been cancelled due to new COVID protocols including the TransRockies Gravel Royale 4-day gravel stage race in BC, Canada. She is making adjustments to training in the pandemic world.
“I’ve honestly done more gravel races than road races this year and the more I compete in gravel, the more I love it. I’ve also managed to win or podium at every gravel event I’ve competed in this year, including a 5th place at Unbound, a 206 mile gravel race and the biggest gravel event in the world.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I still love road racing and had a blast racing at the National Championships as well as a few criteriums this year, but there’s just something so special and unique about racing off-road. Looking ahead, I plan to continue racing road and gravel, as well as possibly on the track. I really love all the disciplines!” added Shayna.
“Special shoutout to our Team TWENTY24 manager/owner Nicola Cranmer and my coach Kristin Armstrong, 3x Olympic gold medalist,” said Shayna. “They have been constantly supportive and motivating throughout the ups and downs in the last year and a half, even when I had COVID. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today in my cycling career if it weren’t for them.”
“Also, thank you to my family and my fiance’ Eli for the unending support not just during COVID, but at every point in my life. They are my world. My brother also deserves a special shoutout for inspiring me with his outstanding performances in the last couple Tour de Frances as well as his recent first Pro Tour win in Spain’s San Sebastian Classic!” added Shayna.
Photo Credit: Craig Huffman Photography
