In the midst of organizing my 5th annual International Women’s Day ride and party, I came across an article that infuriated me. Leah Goldstein, an accomplished athlete and motivational speaker, was abruptly disinvited as a keynote speaker at Inspire’s International Women’s Day event. WTF? The irony here is that an organization is hosting an event in conjunction with a global celebration of inclusivity and honoring the achievements of women. And they excluded Leah, a woman who epitomizes breaking barriers and never giving up.
Back in 2021, I had hoped to interview Leah after her incredible Ride Across America (RAAM) win when she became the first woman to take the overall solo division. But somehow, the two of us never connected during the media whirlwind. But as fate would have it, after reading the recent news stories about the revoked invitation and voicing my outrage to anyone who would listen, a friend mentioned she could connect us. As they say, the rest is history.
For those who are only familiar with Leah from her RAAM wins, get ready to be amazed by her life story, which reads like a compilation of ten Hollywood movie scripts. And at only 55, there’s still much more this extraordinary woman can and will achieve.
Just a few highlights from Leah’s career include:
- At the age of 17, won the Bantamweight World Kickboxing Championship
- Spent nine years in the Israeli military, becoming one of the few female instructors of the elite Commando division and then transitioned into a Special Forces unit, combating terrorism and violent crime
- Israel’s duathlon (run-bike-run) champion
- Crowned the national cycling champion
- Following a crash during the Cascade Classic, she was hospitalized for two and a half months and told she would never walk without a cane. Yep, she proved them wrong!
- Authored a book titled, “No Limits,” and is a sought-after motivational speaker.
I had the opportunity to ask Leah a few questions about the four RAAM races, her mental resilience, and the exciting new challenge she has set her sights on. Read on.
SHERI: What prompted you to race RAAM for the first time?
LEAH: I remember watching it on TV and telling myself I’m going to race that one day. My first RAAM was in 2011, I won the race at 11 days 4 hours and some change.
SHERI: You’ve completed RAAM four times. Which of the four races was the most challenging and why?
LEAH: The most challenging was the RAAM I raced in 2021. The conditions were the most difficult racers ever faced. Because of the heat, Dome temperatures reached 55 Celcius or 130 Fahrenheit through the desert, and it never really cooled off, even at night, the temperature barely dropped. Because of such hard conditions, only three racers finished, and I was the overall winner. I was the first woman to win in 39 years), the second racer came in 17 hours after me, and the last rider came in about an hour later.
SHERI: How do you train physically (training load, strength training) and mentally (i.e., sleep deprivation) for the demands of an ultra-endurance race like RAAM?
LEAH: I try to replicate what I will go through when I race. So I will do 20-30 hours training rides with no sleep or sleep very little, maybe 30 minutes, then get back on my bike. I also don’t use any electronic devices to stay stimulated I don’t listen to music, watch TV (if I’m indoors) and my phone is always turned off when I’m training. I also do two practice races with my crew just to make sure we clear all the cobwebs before the actual event.
SHERI: I’m sure most people aren’t aware that military service is compulsory for Israeli citizens at the age of 18. How did your military and Special Forces training contribute to your mental resilience during RAAM?
LEAH: Always being uncomfortable and being ok with it, along with functioning with next to no sleep. RAAM is not as difficult as the military, no one is yelling at you every 30 min except the voices in your head telling you, “What the fuck are you doing?”
SHERI: On a 3000-mile continuous ride, what hydration/nutrition do you consume to stay ahead of the intense drain on your body?
LEAH: I’m vegan, so it makes it even more challenging. I do my best to stick with liquids for 80% of my ride and solids close to when I’m ready for a short nap.
SHERI: For the gear junkies, what was your bike setup for RAAM, and did you have multiple bikes, like one for the mountain passes and another for the flatlands?
LEAH: I use four bikes. I use a climbing bike for the mountain passes and a TT bike for the flat lands, the two spare bikes are set up exactly the same as my main bikes. I’m sponsored by KHS, Vision, Shimano, Pactimo, D-Curve, Kenda, and BU sunscreen so I only use those sponsored products.
SHERI: I always ask ultra-endurance athletes, “What is one guilty pleasure you allow yourself during the race or event?” It can be food, clothing, anything.
LEAH: I don’t award myself anything unless I am satisfied with my result at the finish, doesn’t necessarily mean to win, but I have to ask myself, “Is that the best I could have done?” My answer for all my RAAM races is a big fat NO….. I can race it faster.
SHERI: You’re only as good as your support crew. Can you describe the level of support and teamwork required during the RAAM? Can you give an example of how you and your team worked together to overcome a specific obstacle?
LEAH: Your crew is your lifeline. They are responsible for your safety, food, navigation, and everything else. When you are so sleep deprived, your choices aren’t always great. Without my crew I’m not getting across the country…. so the race is a team effort it’s not I won the race it’s we won the race.
SHERI: As a former professional cyclist and now a coach, what do you believe are the biggest barriers preventing more women and girls from taking up cycling?
LEAH: I think it’s the intimidation of riding with faster riders and the fear of getting dropped. Many group rides have ultra-ego cyclists, and they challenge new riders by trying to drop them. However, there are way more women rides, and you don’t have to get a second mortgage to buy a decent bike. Along with that, sometimes riders feel uncomfortable sharing the roads with aggressive drivers. Some days I wish I had a Uzi!!
SHERI: In your book “No Limits,” what key takeaway or message do you hope readers, especially females, will internalize and apply to their own lives?
LEAH: Live your dreams! Life is too damn short. Stop idling and step on the gas like never before.
SHERI: What’s next on your cycling bucket list?
LEAH: Trans AM, this race is even crazier than Race Across America. It’s a 4200 mile (7000 km race), but the challenging part is I cannot have any help whatsoever, so no crew, I can’t even call someone I know and ask them to reserve a motel room. This race scares the poop out of me, but I’ve been training incredibly hard, and I am working with a great coach who specializes in these types of races. So I’m in good hands.
As originally seen in Road Bike Rider.
Sunflowers and Pedals 