Subaru Trek Mountain Bike
Team
Packed with power,
speed, and strength, the Subaru
Trek Mountain Bike Team consists of five riders - three men and two
women. These professionals race World Cup, U.S. Cup, and other pro
cross-country mountain bike events. Race course layout, difficulty, and
length vary from venue to venue. The most important venue is the Olympic
Games, which first hosted this discipline in 1996, and the most
prestigious position to hold is on an Olympic team.
The Subaru Trek team has four riders
on the list
of candidates for the London 2012 Olympic Games. This is the first time
Emily Batty (Canada) has been eligible for the Olympics, while Heather
Irmiger (U.S.), Sam Schultz (U.S.), and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (JHK)
(U.S.) all were part of the selection process for the 2008 Beijing
Olympics. JHK was on the 2004 Athens Olympic
team.
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski attempts to qualify for his second Olympics.
What started out as a ride with
friends in eighth
grade has turned into a successful career for JHK. At the age of 16, he
became competitive at the junior level and began doing international
races. He since has become a dominant and consistent competitor in the
sport, winning 14 National Championships.
As the only member of the Subaru Trek
team to
qualify for a past Olympic Games, JHK recounted, "The experience was
incredible, and it's something I will remember the rest of my life. The
Olympics are an amazing showcase on a stage of mainstream interest that
we don't normally get. To mix with the other athletes in their sports at
the top of their games is a really unique experience."
At the age of 33, JHK brings
experience and wisdom
with him to this process. He modified his workouts to prepare for the
year ahead, hoping to land one of the two spots on the men's team. "I've
trained really hard this winter," shared JHK. "I trained a little bit
more consistently through the off-season since some of the selection
races are really early, which is a hard time for me to be going
fast."
Emily Batty
Emily Batty races for a shot on the Canadian Olympic Team.
The 2012 season marks
the second year for Batty in
the elite ranks, previously racing in the under-23 category. She began
riding at age 9, but wasn't able to compete until she was 10. Riding for
her began as a family activity, supporting her older brother, until she
got her chance to ride and shine.
The start of the 2012 season has been
an intense
and strong start for the 23-year-old. In the first World Cup race this
year, she placed second, identifying herself as a strong contender and
candidate for the Olympics. "When I was 9 or 10, I wanted to go to the
Olympics," explained Batty. "When you love a sport that much, that is
all you desire - to be at the one event."
Although it's always been a dream of hers, the last two years have been dedicated to new training methods, workouts, and places, and to trying to figure out what works. The hardest thing this year has been to maintain training while juggling a full season schedule complete with international travel. "As soon as the season starts, it is easy to lose the foundation that you've built the four months leading into the season. It's nice to have the gaps between World Cups so you can maintain and put those hours back in," revealed Batty.
