BIKE RODEO WITH SHAYNA POWLESS
L39ION of LA Star focused on racing, coaching, and inspiring next generation
This week on Making You Faster Chas sits down with Shayna Powless of L39ION of Los Angeles and Team USA earlier this year at Tulsa Tough. The daughter of triathletes, Shayna grew up racing bikes and now pushes the pace at the front of some of the USA’s biggest races. Off the bike she is putting in the work to inspire the next generation of athletes through her Dream Catcher Foundation whose mission is to empower Native youth through sport. Ever wonder what a BIKE RODEO is? Tune in to learn that and more from one of cycling’s rising stars.
Spend even more time with Shayna - Listen to Zipp Speed Podcast
Edited podcast excerpts with Shayna
“Just being able to be on a (L39ION of Los Angeles team) team that’s such an inspiring group of people. It’s been such an honor. I don’t take it for granted. It’s also such an experienced group of people, it’s just been so easy just to jump into. Everyone has a certain job at every race, including myself. I find I am the type of rider to help the sprinters in the in, like Skylar and Kendall. This is the year I have more lead-outs than ever before. I feel like the more I do it the strong I get, the more comfortable I get doing it.”
“I really love the Zipp 454s. That’s my go-to for crits. Tubeless for me, I’ve never had any issues. Even when I’m home training, I’m always on tubeless. This is my first year embracing riding on tubeless. I’ve been in so many situations where I get a puncture and it seals so quickly.”
“The Dream Catcher Foundation is a non-profit we (Shayna and fiancé Eli Ankou) started back in 2019. With both of us being Native American, my fiancé being part of the Ojibwe Nation up in Canada and myself being Oneida, and both of us being professional athletes (Eli is a football player) felt a strong inclination to give back to native communities. One of our main goals is to raise money to distribute bikes and helmets to youth on various reservations, and also free youth camps on reservations. We hosted our first free football camp back in 2019. It was a huge success. We had 150 kids show up. We hosted it in Eli’s hometown of Ottawa, Canada. We also hosted our first bike rodeo event.”