A year and a half ago, Paige Onweller was working as an emergency PA and racing bikes on the side. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she won Big Sugar. Recognizing that she had a fraction of the racing experience that her competitors had, Paige quit her job, built out her sprinter van, and got to work racing weekend after weekend around the country. She tried everything from time trialing to mountain biking, eventually deciding to commit to gravel and the Grand Prix. At Unbound this year, despite having spent barely any time on the bike since undergoing major ankle surgery, she placed third overall and first in the Grand Prix.

Paige sat down with Payson in Bentonville shortly after the race to talk about how her nerdiness and curiosity have helped her go from amateur to top pro within a mere 18 months, the rare ankle injury she suffered during a crash in February that brought her season to a standstill, and how she played to her tactical strengths during Unbound to ensure she would stay at the front despite having almost no training under her belt. They also talk about how groundbreaking the race was for the women’s field and how the past four months have taken her to the darkest and brightest places of being a professional athlete.

Paige's YouTube video: How to Survive Unbound Gravel

Instagram: @withpacepod
YouTube: Payson McElveen