Liz Reap Carlson

Date of Birth: May 25, 1969
Height: 5'4"/1.63m
Weight: 150 lbs./68kg./10.1st.
Place of Birth: Olean, New York
Hometown: Smethport, Pennsylvania
Residence: Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Current Team: Liv/giant
Education: BS/BFA from Syracuse University in Advertising Design and Photography
Website: lizreapcarlson.com

UCI World Championships Results

• 1st — 2006 UCI Masters Track World Championships, Manchester, England — 35-39 Women’s 500m TT
• 1st — 2006 UCI Masters Track World Championships, Manchester, England — Match Sprint
• 1st — 2004 UCI Masters Track World Championships, Manchester, England — Women’s 500m TT
• 4th — 2004 UCI Masters Track World Championships, Manchester, England — Match Sprint

National Championship Results

• 1st — 2011 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Carson, Calif. — 500m TT, Team Sprint
• 1st — 2010 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Carson, Calif. — 500m TT, Team Sprint
• 3rd — 2010 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Carson, Calif. — Match Sprint, Keirin
• 1st — 2008 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Carson, Calif. — Team Sprint
• 2nd — 2008 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Carson, Calif. —  Match Sprint, 500m TT
• 1st — 2007 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Carson, Calif. — 500m TT, Team Sprint
• 2nd — 2007 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Carson, Calif. —  Match Sprint, Keirin
• 1st — 2006 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Carson, Calif. — Team Sprint
• 2nd — 2006 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Carson, Calif. — Match Sprint, 500m TT, Keirin

Career Highlights

• Two-time Olympic Long Team Member
• Two-time Pan American Medalist
• Eight-time USA Cycling Elite National Champion
• Three-time UCI Master’s World Champion

• American Record Holder — Team Sprint (34.788), 2011 Pan American Games, Guadalajara, Mexico
• American Record Holder — 250m Standing Lap (19.673), 2011 Pan American Games, Guadalajara, Mexico

• 1st — 2006 Independence Day Grand Prix, Colorado Springs, Colo. — Women’s Keirin
• 2nd — 2012 Pan American Continental Championships, Mar del Plata, Argentina — Women’s Team Sprint
• 3rd — 2012 Pan American Continental Championships, Mar del Plata, Argentina — Women’s 500m TT
• 3rd — 2011 Winslow BMW US Grand Prix of Sprinting, Colorado Springs, Colo. — Women’s Team Sprint
• 4th — 2011 Pan American Games, Guadalajara, Mexico — Women's Team Sprint
• 4th — 2007 UCI Track World Cup, Los Angeles, Calif. — Women’s Team Sprint
• 6th — 2007 UCI Track World Cup, Manchester, England — Women's 500m Time Trial

Points of Interest

• Liz once rode her bike from San Francisco to Washington, D.C..
• Liz loves to sing, and brought down the house with Carole King's "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" while dressed as a sailor.
• Liz believes in the life-changing power of sport and activity, and loves helping people find their groove.

Personal

Carlson grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania, far from the sport of track cycling. By age 7, she was an accomplished swimmer. In high school, she played basketball, golf, ran track & field and was named Class Athlete of her 1987 graduating class.

In 1992, she began working for Runner's World and Bicycling magazines. Bob Rodale, the company’s founding father, created T-Town in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, the most widely-recognized venue on the U.S. track scene today.

When Carlson wanted to explore the world beyond her rural hometown, she rode a Greyhound bus to California and rode her bike back home. As a daring young woman, solo-touring the Florida and Oregon coastline taught her about self-sufficiency and preparation. Riding, then racing, mountain bikes was pure fun and gave her a community of friends she calls family. And when Liz was settled into her career and looking for new challenges, she discovered track racing and gained a lifetime of lessons.

In 2006, after winning two world championship titles as a masters athlete, Liz qualified to compete for the United States at the Los Angeles UCI World Cup. She rose to the occasion and earned four top-10 finishes as a U.S. National Team rookie. Liz has since won eight elite national titles — three in the 500-meter time trial and five in the team sprint, a new addition to the 2012 London Olympic program. 

The strongest U.S. starter with three World Cup seasons to her credit, Carlson is an asset to a young U.S. sprint program. She and teammate Madeline Godby set a new American record in the team sprint at the 2011 Pan American Games. And in March, 2012, she earned her first elite international podium spot with bronze in the 500m TT at the Pan American Championships.

Having literally “grown up” with Title IX, Liz is a strong advocate for women in sports. She credits her success to good genes, a solid work ethic, desire to learn and ability to rest. She loves bringing new ideas to life, cooking delicious food for her husband and staying in touch with family and friends.

In 2011, Liz joined the National Eating Disorders Association as a NEDA Navigator, an outreach program that supports parents, family and friends of those struggling with eating disorders.