In this episode of What’s the Rusch, Rebecca Rusch is joined by mountain biking phenom and SheSends founder Kate Courtney for an honest, high-vibration conversation about racing, reinvention, and rising to your own standard of success. From being the only girl on her high school team to becoming a world champion and Olympic athlete, Kate has reshaped what it means to lead with values—not just victories. Now, she’s charting a bold new course in her career: founding her own team, launching a foundation, and redefining what success means from the inside out.

This conversation explores what happens when you bet on yourself—on and off the bike—and how the moments that test us can often be our greatest teachers.

Show Notes:

In this episode, Rebecca and Kate discuss:

1. The founding and vision behind SheSends: a race team and a movement
2. Her evolution from factory team rider to entrepreneur and team builder
3. How Leadville became her unexpected comeback after injury
4. Cultivating intrinsic motivation in a results-driven world
5. The changing landscape of women’s cycling and why it matters
6. Letting go of external validation to focus on values-based leadership
7. The mental and physical shift that comes from playing the long game

Transformative Insights:

1. Believing in yourself—not just the outcome—is the most powerful performance tool
2. You don’t have to wait to feel confident to take the leap—just “send it”
3. Structure is the secret sauce, not sheer discipline
4. Curiosity is often the most powerful motivator we have
5. Building your own path can energize your performance in unexpected ways

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Kate opens up about the injury that sidelined her season—and sparked a reset
2. She reflects on early years of being underestimated and overextended
3. Rebecca and Kate share how they’ve both wrestled with shifting identities in sport
4. Kate talks about learning to rest, reframe, and rebuild—without losing momentum

Practical Wisdom:

1. Use values—not just metrics—to define success
2. Treat injury or detours as data, not defeat
3. Redefine goals through bronze/silver/gold tiers to keep perspective
4. Let structure support joy, not stifle it
5. Create space for the “main thing”—and know when to let the rest go

Personal Growth:

1. Kate’s shift from peak performance to purpose-driven impact through SheSends
2. Her approach to writing, reflection, and building mental clarity through Monday Mantras
3. Embracing uncertainty as a form of freedom
4. Expanding her team from just staff and support to a mission-aligned community

Helpful Links:

Kate’s Website 

SheSends Foundation

Kate Courtney's Substack – Monday Mantras

Kate on Instagram

Kate’s Interview on Rich Roll

Kate on the Second Nature Podcast

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She Sends - Foundation & Race Team