I was at the University of Utah, hanging out with the ski team guys and going on long road rides. These Norwegian guys were saying, "what's up with this girl riding in sneakers and a bathing suit?" We'd ride with no pumps or spare tubes, only a couple of water bottles and an ATM card. They couldn't drop me so they said, "you should race!"

I entered local races and then hooked up with a club team. I was determined to go to development camp at the Olympic Training Center in 1990. They picked me to go to national camp. Then they selected me to go to the Tour of Texas. Then from there, I was selected to go to Europe with the national team. It was uncomfortable at first being the new kid on the block.

I was dating Rishi (Grewal, pro mountain bike rider) and he gave me great tips on strategy and how to outsmart my competitors. I didn't really have a team so I was competing against the big girls, all the girls in the magazines. I did well, got picked up by the Weight Watchers women's cycling team. The next year I rode for Shaklee Vitamins. Then I started dabbling in mountain biking. I really fell in love with it. I switched full-time in 1994. Then I went to Europe on the U.S. National Mountain bike team.

I know how races unfold so I can read a race well. Coming from the road side, I have endurance and tenacity. I learned a lot about base training and about myself...you develop a good sense of yourself, where your limits are and how to push your limits and overcome them. Also, just from racing on the road, you realize you can push a bigger gear for a long period of time and that's what you need in mountain biking, not riding in granny gear all the time.

— Krista Crabtree, MountainZone.com Correspondent