Inspiration
Cyclist Kristen Faulkner wasn't even supposed to compete in the Olympic road race. Slated to race in the women's team pursuit, a spot in the road race opened up just one month ago. The team pursuit remained her priority, as she said, "If I didn't believe that [I could win a medal], I was going to pull out of the [road] race." That confidence paid off in a big way, as she won a stunning gold medal in the road race and then added the team pursuit gold medal 48 hours later.
Faulkner grew up as a multi-sport athlete in Homer, Alaska. Her parents instilled independence and a do-it-yourself, made-from-scratch mentality. Following high school, she rowed at Harvard while majoring in computer science. She moved to New York City to work as a venture capitalist. Looking to maintain a connection to the outdoors, she started cycling in Central Park before work. Success in local cycling races led to regional races, which led to quitting her job to cycle full-time four years ago. Just seven years after taking a beginner's cycling class, Kristen Faulkner is bringing two gold medals home from Paris.
Whereas many companies bring concepts from sport into the boardroom, Faulkner did the reverse. Experiences in the
world of finance - researching, studying, and analyzing - paid off as she sought to condense her learning curve. As one who "loves learning [and] new challenges," she created innovative ways to study, even making flashcards to describe each of the top 100 riders on the circuit. She also conducted post-race analyses, which were analyzed by her coach, to identify successful racing strategies. Where she lacked knowledge, she hired consultants to accelerate her learning. All of this stems from a growth mindset that believes it's not a character flaw if you are bad at something; you're just not good,
yet.Faulkner's work as an early stage investor also served her well. Accustomed to taking calculated risks, she made similar calculations on the bike as she identified when to attack and when to follow. The balance of risk and reward (aka expected value calculation), was key to her victory in Paris. Finally, Faulkner credits her resilience to helping her overcome accidents and injuries. "It’s never a matter of if I’ll keep going, it’s just a matter of how,” Faulkner said. Kristen Faulkner bets on herself and her ability to figure things out. Where she goes next will surely be a fascinating ride.