Growing up in Dudley, Lizzy Gunsalus found herself riding BMX because of her older brother and father. Now, years later, Gunsalus is a professional rider taking part in Cyclocross (CX), an off-road bicycle racing discipline that combines elements of road cycling, mountain biking, and steeplechase. Races take place on short, closed loops roughly 2.5 to 3.5 kilometers (1.5 to 2.2 miles) long and feature a mix of pavement, grass, wooded trails, steep hills, mud, sand pits, and artificial barriers.

The senior senior-category races last between 30 minutes and one hour, with total laps determined by course conditions and speed. Throughout the race riders have to frequently encounter obstacles that require them to dismount, carry their bikes on their shoulders, run past the obstruction, and remount to resume riding.

“Cyclocross is a specific discipline of cycling and primarily takes part in the fall and winter seasons,” said Gunsalus, who now lives in Indianapolis with her sister. “It is the cross country of cycling, where you find yourself riding through grass and dirt with the occasional running while carrying your bike. You definitely need good core strength.”

Gunsalus’ father introduced her and her older brother Greg to cyclocross. Greg began riding the sport first and Lizzy started when she was eight years old.

“Although I enjoyed it, I was still relatively young and really didn’t want to commit to one sport,” she said. “So I tried numerous other things over the years but by the time that I got to high school I began to fully focus and ultimately committed to cyclocross only.”

One of the big reasons Gunsalus committed to cyclocross was during a trip to Nashville with her brother and father. There, Lizzy raced and took home the top honor, which sparked a realization that she was riding at a higher level than she anticipated. 

Back in the day, there were no girls riding teams, so when she began riding with her brother’s team, AP Junior Developmental, in 2015 she became the first girl to do so. The program was based out of Corner Cycle bike shop in Falmouth. Gunsalus rode with AP Junior Developmental for two years before she was picked up as a developmental rider for Cannondale. In 2022 she joined her first professional team – Steve Tilford Foundation Racing. 

As a youngster, Gunsalus would imagine that she could one day ride professionally. She knew that if she worked hard, she could become successful.

“Now as a professional – it’s the best thing in the whole world,” Gunsalus said. “There are times, as I’ve gotten older, that it seems like more time and energy but to be able to continue to perform at this higher level is a privilege.”

Through her career she has won National Championships in 2015, 2017, 2023 and 2025; Pan American Championship in 2022 and the Pan American Elite Championship in 2025 as well as a collegiate championship in that same year.

Although some women ride into their 40s Gunsalus pictures herself riding for another three to seven years. This past May she graduated with two bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and chemistry from Marian University in Indianapolis and Perdue University.

“Using the engineering degree to work part time allows me the opportunity to focus on something else other than just training for cyclocross,” she said. “I am looking to begin a start-up company, something unconventional, not your typical 9-5 job. There are a lot of different avenues that I can take.”

While she continued to ride, Greg took a step back from riding when Covid hit. Now he is involved in cyclocross as her mechanic. 

“It’s amazing having people in my corner that know me as Lizzy, not the Pan American Champion,” she said. “People who know me through good and bad days, it takes a lot of pressure off me. Having Greg with me is a blessing, I am proud and grateful to be able to travel and do all this with him.”

As the fall months being to roll around, Gunsalus, with her brother alongside her, is getting ready to begin the American Cyclocross season (the European season will kick off in later October). Come January she plans to participate in the National Championship, followed by the World Championships in February. W