Kateřina Nash on 30 years of racing and her role within the UCI

At 46, Kateřina Nash has been racing bikes for three decades and continues to compete at the highest level. Originally from the Czech Republic, she competed in skiing throughout her early life, even competing in two Winter Olympics before discovering a love for mountain biking. She was part of the first cohort of the groundbreaking LUNA Pro Team in 2002, and stayed with the team for more than two decades. In that time, she won seven Cyclo-cross World Cups, competed in three Summer Olympics, and, for the past few years, has served as a Vice President of the UCI and President of the Athletes’ Commission.

Payson caught up with Kateřina in Bentonville last week to talk about growing up behind the Iron Curtain, moving to the U.S. on a ski scholarship, and why she still can’t believe she got to sign with the LUNA Pro Team. She talks about how her training has changed as she’s gotten older, why she still loves professional racing, and how she’s managed to stay so fast for so long. She also talks about how her roles within the UCI came about, and the phone call she received last year that is an athlete’s worst nightmare.