Olympic Cyclist Mari Holden Reveals How Taking a Risk Changed Her Life — And Career (EXCLUSIVE)

Cyclist Mari Holden, 53, overcame everything from rejection to self-doubt, to win a silver medal in the 2000 Olympics time trial event in Sydney, Australia . Today, her "peloton" has only grown to encompass a wide community of young riders, as she works with the USA Cycling Development Foundation to mentor and support the next generation. Woman's World caught up with the world-renowned cyclist as she looks back on her Olympic career — and ahead at the surprising opportunities that came from making just one bold move.

Woman's World : What’s the biggest lesson you took from your Olympic experience?

Mari Holden: I think it’s that sometimes the best experience happens on the back of the worst experience. In 1996, I felt like I should have been selected for the Olympic team, but I was passed over. I worked so hard to get that opportunity, but I knew I had to change my approach. So instead of going the national team route, I moved to Europe to train and forge my own way. Looking back on it, I think, How did I have the courage to do that? When you want something so badly, you have to ask yourself, 'How else can I accomplish this goal? If one strategy isn’t working, am I willing to change?' It ended up being the greatest experience and I grew so much as a person.

Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone changes your whole life trajectory. We don’t always realize how doing something brave is going to pay off later, but that experience helped prepare me, and I made the next Olympic team. I wasn’t a favorite going into the Sydney Games , but I had lived at the Olympic Training Center, and I remember the excitement of seeing a woman win a medal in weight lifting; it made me believe I could do it too. ­I thought I might have a chance at bronze, so to win a silver in the time trial event…it felt like gold. (see how stepping out of your comfort zone boosts joy, too).

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WW : How did you find the resilience to overcome setbacks?

Mari Holden : When we hit a low, we often begin to wonder, How am I going to get out of this ? But I learned this is when it's most important to show ourselves grace. We have to remind ourselves that we can do this — we can give it a shot. I think we create our own luck, at least somewhat, and if we work really hard and stay focused on everything we have to do, we can achieve our goal.

WW : What advice do you have for women in midlife who may find themselves in a rut?

Mari Holden: I would encourage women my age to try to find ways to see things from a fresh perspective. For me, I love learning new things. But I hate not being good at something, and I think I've let that [perfectionism] hold me back sometimes. So this last year, I started learning how to ski. At first, I was afraid people were paying attention to me or judging me, but they really weren't. I had to learn to be okay with looking like a beginner — I had to focus not on being perfect, but on growing and getting better. As women in our 50s, we're at a great time in our lives, because we've earned our confidence — we've gotten through challenges and now it's time for us to go for it! That's the attitude that keeps us young.

Related: Related: Legendary Olympian Janet Evans Shares Her ‘Gold Medal’ Secrets to Success, Motivation and Self-Care (EXCLUSIVE)

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