Eileen Gaughran: Athlete Interview

Height: 5’1”

Weight: Do you mean before or after the pandemic?

Race Weight: 100-105 lbs.

Birthdate: November 7, 1966

Childhood Heroes: Thurman Munson, Bucky Dent, Reggie Jackson, Ron Guidry (or any Yankee from the late 70s)

Hobbies and Interests: Cycling, dogs, pandemic gardening

Favorite Movies: A League of Their Own, Dances With Wolves, Bull Durham

Musical Tastes: Pretty much all genres (I’m the youngest of 5 siblings spanning generations, and they and my parents influenced my musical tastes).

Favorite TV Shows: GCN, watching the Tour and Cyclocross, Breaking Bad

Favorite Meal: Veggie Pizza

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: homemade overnight oats

Favorite Pre-Race Meal: Coffee, overnight oats or warm oatmeal with blueberries and a banana

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Hard ice cream: Sea Salt Caramel. Soft ice cream: Vanilla/Chocolate Swirl

Childhood Dream: To be the first woman to play for the NY Yankees. Then later I wanted to be a ballerina. I was sort of all over the place 😊

First Car: 1978 Chevy Nova

First Job: Carvel Ice Cream store

Favorite Vacation Spot: Majorca, Spain

Pre-Race Feeling: Nerves and excitement

Early Racing Memory: Placing well in the Hotter N Hell 100(k) Women’s road race as a Cat 4, where I finished with the P,1,2,3’s. After the race I asked one of the officials how to upgrade, and she instantly approved my upgrade to a 3 😊 No fuss, no muss.

Funny Racing Memory: Also at the Hotter N Hell road race, one of the pro contenders stopped the race because she had to pee. She had the respect to stop the entire field. There is not a single tree in the Texas Panhandle, so we could all be seen squatting together on the side of the road. Once we were all done, the race resumed.

Greatest Racing Moment: Winning the Texas Cyclo-cross State Championship in 2019. It was a nail-biter, and I had to give it my absolute all. It was the most gratifying race I’ve ever done, even if I hadn’t won, because I dug as deep as I could go. No post-race “could I have gone a little harder?” No.

Most Painful Moment In Life: Losing my Mom

Worst Injury from Racing: It was on a training ride and I was just finishing up an all-out effort. Suddenly a cat darted out at full speed and ran right through my front wheel. I couldn’t see it coming with the cars parked alongside the road, so there was no time to react. Me and my bike were airborne before I landed on my face and shoulder. I was scheduled to leave for Las Vegas for a work trip the next day. Needless to say that didn’t happen. And the indoor trainer became not so bad after all.

Closest Racing Friends: Jessie Vaughan and the Bicycle Heaven gals.

Funniest Racer: Taylor Phinney is adorably weird. But this from Andre Greipel, Da Gorilla, is pretty hilarious.

Favorite Race: Ft. Davis

Embarrassing Racing Memory: A cyclocross race where I wiped out in the sand and messed up my shifter and got stuck in my easiest gear for the last few laps. It gave me the opportunity to do high-cadence drills, but I finished (DFL).

Toughest Competitors: Traci Gibson and Joy Brott always give me a run for my money.

Favorite Athletes to Watch: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado

Qualities You Most Admire in People: Ability to say “I was wrong” and move on

What You Love Most About Riding Your Bicycle: The sense of freedom and being able to see the world from a different perspective.