For Olympian and professional cyclist Olivia Cummins, the bike is more than an extension of her sport — it’s a symbol of legacy in motion, a vessel carrying years of ambition, discipline and dreams. More than machinery, it’s a vehicle that continues to promise possibility. Each ride is a testament to where she has been and where she is going.

Cummins’ road to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris began in her hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado when she was 5 years old. On a casual family outing to Colorado State University’s racing series, Cummins entered her first cycling race. Without any training or practice, she pedaled her way to second place, but she was determined to be first.

“Later that day, they had another kids’ race, and I won,” Cummins says. “16 years later, and here we are.”

Throughout her early childhood, Cummins dabbled in many athletic avenues. From horseback riding to gymnastics and soccer to ice skating, she always came home to her bicycle, whether it be on the mountain, track or road.

“Cycling was the only constant,” Cummins shares. “I liked it, and I was good at it.”

At 10 years old, Cummins met her coach, Andy Clark. This was just the beginning of a steadfast and true partnership. Clark is still Cummins’ coach today. By 14, Clark gave her a pivotal piece of advice: if she wanted to reach her full potential, she’d need to channel her energy entirely into cycling. Cummins listened. That same year, she broke into the pro rankings — one stride closer to her ultimate goal: earning a spot on the UCI Women’s World Tour.

Upon high school graduation, she joined the cycling team at Colorado Mesa University, where she graduated with a degree in psychology this past spring. It did not take long before Cummins was invited to an Olympic training camp across the state in Colorado Springs. She trained countless hours with USA Cycling. Track cycling began to take precedence over road racing, as it became the primary focus of her Olympic training.

She could practically taste the thrill and victory of Paris 2024. Days before the final selection camp, where Cummins and her peers trained and participated in mock race simulations, Cummins crashed at the Road National Championship in Charleston, West Virginia. The athlete was not in the shape she wanted to be in to travel to the Netherlands and show USA Cycling her very finest.

“I did the best I could but knew I was capable of more than I showed,” Cummins says. “I was scared [if I was going to make the Olympic team and] that all the bad luck before the camp was going to cost me all the hard work I had put in for years.”

Then came the call — Cummins was officially an Olympian. In the weeks leading up to Paris, her summer revolved around the track, the gym, long endurance rides and even time in the sauna. And then it was time to compete in Paris. After three races across two days, Team USA — with Cummins among them — claimed victory in the Team Pursuit event.

“I had never cried from a race or a result [before now],” Cummins recalls. “It was amazing to see how much we put into making that happen and it actually pay off and work out.”

Although Cummins championed an Olympic track event, she has always been biased to the road. That is why she is now dedicating her training to improve her threshold power, “filling in the gap between the super easy and the super hard rides.” She does not know if she will compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics, but she is certain that cycling will always be a part of her life.

“It may show itself differently, but it will always be there in some way, shape or form,” Cummins says.

You can find her legacy stamped into the roads and trails of the Grand Valley and throughout the entire state. You may even spot her tracks on Kokopelli’s Trail, 18 Road Trails in Fruita, riding from Grand Junction to Palisade, the National Monument or any rolling road.

Originally published in the fall 2025 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Legacy For A Lifetime: Olivia Cummins’ Road To The Olympics