into her body is incredibly important . However , she wasn ’ t always a cyclist .
“ My first sport in life was actually cross-country skiing ,” she explained . “ My parents had me out on skis at the age of five . Some friends suggested that I should try cycling as a complementary cross-training activity in the summer months . I joined the Kids of Mud program in Winnipeg upon their recommendation and was pretty hooked after beating some of the boys and playing in the mud .”
Kirchmann has been racing since she was 13 and her first competitions were at various spots around Winnipeg – Spring Hill , La Barrier Park , and Birds Hill Park .
“ Shortly after joining Kids of Mud , I was recruited by Marian Pyszczek , the Manitoba Provincial team coach at the time ,” Kirchmann said . “ He introduced me to road riding and taught me all about tactics . I started competing outside the province in both mountain biking and road cycling , following the Canada Cup Mountain Bike Series and also traveling south to some US events .
“ In 2008 I qualified for both the Junior World Championships for both mountain biking and road cycling . I didn ’ t perform exceptionally well at those events , but the experience really opened my eyes to the exciting world of international competition .”
Not surprisingly , she continued to race nationally as a cross-country skier
and in 2008 , she moved to Squamish , BC to attend Quest University and join the Callaghan Valley Training Centre ski team . After a very busy year , she decided it was time to specialize , pick one or the other , and she chose to pursue road cycling as her primary sport .
“ In 2010 , I raced for Trek Red Truck out of Vancouver and had a good season gaining more experience at the next level up from the provincial team ,” she explained . “ It was during this season , while guest riding for a team at the Cascade Classic in Bend , Oregon that I caught the eye of one of the pro team directors . That led to a pro contract for the following season with Colavita-Forno d ’ Asolo .
This is Kirchmann ’ s sixth year racing professionally but her first year racing for a European-based team – Team Liv- Plantur .
She has also had numerous opportunities to race internationally with the Canadian National team over the past seven years . It ’ s a list that includes two Commonwealth Games , and seven World Championships . She was one of the final cuts of the
“ I ’ m going to keep racing until it ’ s not fun anymore ,” said Kirchmann , who makes her home in the Netherlands . said . “ I would take that as a sign that it is time to pursue something new . My big goals right now are these 2016 Olympics and then a world championship podium .
“ I ’ ve had a fantastic start to the season . My early season performances should certainly help show that I ’ m one of the best riders in the world .” •
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