Lauren De Crescenzo

Lauren De Crescenzo discovered cycling in high school when she was forced to quit running due to chronic injuries. She found success in the collegiate road cycling scene, but unfortunately in 2016, she hit a barrier at the finish line of a stage race. Lauren had to be life-flighted and put in a medically induced coma for 7 days, and spent two months at Craig Hospital re-learning how to walk and talk.

She preserved and used cycling as a way to measure her progress in recovery. In 2018, while she was in grad school, her interest piqued at the emerging discipline of gravel cycling; she felt it would be a safer, more viable long-term option. She also found a natural affinity for suffering during long races with a new perspective on overcoming pain.

Toward the end of 2020, she paired up with a new team, cycling program, and things began to click. In 2021 she had a breakout season with wins at Unbound Gravel, SBT GRVL, Gravel Worlds, and The Rad.

After winning Unbound she quit her job as an epidemiologist and went on all in on her cycling career. She now considers herself living her dream with a new lease on life and cycling.

She hopes to encourage others to turn their adversities into their superpower and, as she puts it bluntly, ""Make trying cool again.""

She's now set her sights on the Lifetime Grand Prix. As a newbie Mountain biker, she is entering the series humble yet hungry to take on this new challenge. She is seeking a podium finish at UCI Gravel World Championships.

"I love riding my bike, pushing my limits and improving .1% every day. I love racing my bike because it requires me to be the best version of myself, and leave all the BS behind. You can always be better, whether it's fitness, skills, nutrition, sleep, mental focus, etc. Making tiny improvements in these areas every day is what I'm here for, inspiring others to be the best versions of themselves. I want to be better than I was a year ago, a week ago, or a day ago. I have a lot of new challenges ahead but I am excited to see what the 2023 season will bring!"