Brianna Walle has been a dealer service rep for Yakima for 4 years. Encouraged by her co-workers, she jumped into bike racing with both feet and quickly begin tearing up the circuit.

Racing for local team Ironclad Cycling for the past 3 seasons, she worked her way to Cat 1 level. That’s the category for elite cyclists with national caliber experience.

Most recently, she placed 1st overall as Best Amateur Cyclist at the Nature Valley Grand Prix (she’s in the green jersey above) as part of the Nature Valley Pro Chase Composite Team.

Told you she was badass.

We took a few moments to ask her a few questions about how she discovered the sport and what makes this lady tick.

When and how did you discover bike racing?
Three years ago after much encouragement from my co-workers here at Yakima. They could sense that I had a competitive nature about me, especially since I come from a racing background in other sports.

What was your first race?
A beginner,women’s race at PIR (Portland International Raceway). After a quick 101 racing clinic, I jumped right for the win.  It was then and there that I fell in love with racing.

Which sports did you participate in the past?
In high school and college, I ran cross-country, Alpine ski raced and played soccer. Prior to discovering bike racing, I ran half and full marathons and identified as a runner. That’s where I really got the racing bug.

Keep your eyes peeled for our next Brianna Walle post: You Gotta Train