Team Members Profile

Cheer Bear

Team Mascot

I love bike racing! I go to as many races as I can and cheer on my team and all the racers. I even raced last year in Bend! I love rainbows, skittles, ponies, hugs and making people smile. Come by our team tent and say hi! Instagram: @swiftcheer

Matt

Team Director

I've been involved in competitive cycling for the past 10 years.  To me cycling has always been more than "just another sport", it is about: people, culture, science, panache, transportation, community and athletic talent.  As the director of Swift Racing PDX, it is my privilege and honor to bring others to appreciate diverse attributes that competitive cycling has to offer.

Katy

As a kid, my bike was freedom and exploration, and the reason I got grounded at least once.  As an adult, the bicycle continues to be a vehicle for adventure. I get to know my environment, my friends and myself through bicycle riding and racing.  Lessons learned in racing translate into lessons for a life well lived: perseverance, intentional rest, attention to detail, being present in the moment, and so many more. Racing is hard, with an excellent return on investment, but the gains are not always what I expect.  Every season holds excitement, anticipation and a little trepidation.

Cassie

Volunteer Coordinator

I previously associated sports with standing in the outfield in uncomfortable clothing as a small child, eating sunflower seeds, and hoping the ball never came in my direction. Racing bikes is a preferred activity because usually things are not being thrown at me. Also, I enjoy the breeze. While riding bikes for the purposes of exploration and transportation has been a lifelong enjoyment, this is just my second year racing. I prefer dirt over pavement any day. I’ve been in the wondrous pacific NW for 10 years and try to spend my time experiencing all the outdoor places I have yet to see – on and off the bike.

Ben Gagosian

Team Coordinator

I've been obsessed with movement for as long as I can remember. Running, biking, climbing, skiing, hiking, swimming, anything and everything. I try to stay focussed on CX and MTB'ing at this point, but still love road riding and a good gravel adventure. I feel super blessed to live in a state like Oregon that has an amazing riding community and such beauty that surrounds us!

Halley

Art Director

Name: Halley (pronounced like Halle Berry, not Haley Joel Osment)

I grew up in the isolated quirky little town of Arcata on the northern coast of California and moved to Portland for college in 2004 and it has been home base ever since. I started riding bikes in 2010 when I got a great deal on a used road bike while working at REI. Being able to ride that fast and easily was a revelation. Since then I've added mountain and cyclocross bikes to my collection. I don't race, but Swift lets me stay on the team since I do the graphic design of our kits, logos, and swag. I take any excuse to be outside and dabble in a lot of sports (cycling, paddle boarding, hiking, climbing, camping) - but skiing is my favorite, especially because I can Nordic and backcountry ski with my dogs Zoey, Jasper, and Sinka.

Instagram: @searchingfor75

Joey

Assistant Director

Justin

Disciplines: Road, cyclocross

I moved to Portland from upstate NY because it was so bike friendly and I was a bit bike obsessed.  However, I never considered racing or even wearing Lycra until I learned what cyclocross was.  Now, I can't get enough.  I'm looking forward to cx this year and endless miles of gravel from now til then.

John Lin

Native Oregonian that has been racing since 2005!  You'll find that I finished 1st in the OBRA BAR for Singlespeed in 2011.  More importantly, OBRA race announcer, Luciano, has labeled me the Energizer Bunny at the cross races.  My relationship with road racing can be summarized as a quote from one of my favorite movies, Brokeback Mountain: "I wish I knew how to quit you."  My relationship with cyclocross racing can be summarized through this quote from the movie, Welcome to the Dollhouse: "You think you're hot shit, but you're really just cold diarrhea."  I am currently in an open relationship with my carbon road bike and a few other bicycles =)

Cory

Web Developer

Came from prior team "Go Bananas!" where I was the proud sole team member. I became enamored with the idea of racing bicycles in the mud after hearing about cyclocross for the first time in 2012.  Within 3 weeks I had my first race and that was all it took to get addicted.

Andy

I’m NW native with a passion for all things outdoors! I like to ride bicycles when I have time- my favorite kinds are skinny tire bicycles, but I also really like knobby tire bicycles! Been with the Swifts since Fall of 2014, and am still figuring out this whole bike racing thing, so I will start off in the Easy “A” category this fall. Other hobbies include backpacking, backcountry snowboarding, and dropping Matt on climbs.

Larry

I’m the “elder statesman” on Team Swift and this is my fourth year to own that title. I find epic rides and road racing to be my preferred ways to spend time on the bike, although track riding is a “hoot.” As a high school science teacher I also enjoy getting new students into cycling and riding with them (even if they go to the “dark side” and race cx and/or mountain bikes). My spare time is spent reading, traveling, photographing the beautiful PNW, camping, and spending time in Redlands, California with three of the cutest cyclists on the planet! I look forward to staying in shape long enough to race with them when they graduate from their push bikes.

Jessica Gill

watched my husband race cyclocross a few times back in 2011 and thought he was super crazy! I had hardly been on a bike and was very fearful. When I finally tried it, I found that it was the hardest workout I'd ever done and I LOVED it! (Even after finishing 37/50 in the beginners) I was inspired by those girls flying past as they lapped me...Within 2 seasons I was racing with those fast girls and training for nationals in Austin!!! Cyclocross has pushed me to overcome fears and encouraged me to do things I never thought I'd do. I love the atmosphere and community it entails. This is one of the most inclusive sports! Anyone can come out and have fun! I'm so grateful for all the great friends we've made along the way. I have since experienced road racing (including a stage race), competed in one full Ironman and two halfs, and learned (am learning) how to mountain bike. I am looking forward to racing more mountain bikes, road bikes, gravel bikes, and cross bikes with my friends.

John Gill

Between a wife, work, and four kids, I find time to pursue my dream to be an above-average amateur bicycle racer. I love all kinds of rides and races, but my heart will always love the dirt a bit more than the road.
I have made some of my best friends through cycling and hope to make many more.
I have achieved many of my goals in racing, and hope to achieve many more.

Sara Headley

Never in my wildest imagination did I think I'd do something like race bikes, but cx caught me in its alluring, muddy grip after sitting on the sidelines one too many weekends watching my husband have so much fun without me. Plus, the women seemed awesomely rowdy and supportive. Not to mention, Swift pretty much has the most wonderful people running the team and on its team. Fast forward a few seasons, and I am proud to be roughing it out in Cat 2/3. I also love mountain biking and offering mini core warm-ups. When I'm not on the bike, I like to run, yoga, hike, tai chi, snowboard, (maybe skate ski this year?), garden, cook, eat, read, be around dogs, and ponder this very strange universe.

Nick

Dabbled in cyclocross and downhill racing while in college, then fell headlong into racing 'cross upon moving to Portland.
His notable achievement is having raced in the same category for 10 years.
It just goes to show what a lack of hard work and commitment to training can do for a non-aspiring bike racer.
Nick enjoys maximizing the amount of fun in every race because if he's paying good money for something it's certainly not 45 minutes of suffering.

Todd

Todd "the Bod" After 13 years in Portland, definitely calling it home, raised in Louisville, KY. Ride bikes for the fun and race for the camaraderie. Focus is enduro and cyclocross. Outside of cycling I enjoy camping & hiking with my wife & dog, fly-fishing and bourbon.

Sara CK

Race Age: 28
This is my first year racing with a team. I've been in Oregon for 10 years and live to be outside. This season I will ride cyclocross and try to bring up the rear in some mountain races. My athletic background includes 10 years of competitive gymnastics and all the rock climbing I can get in when I'm not worried about paying bills. I'm pretty new to cycling but I'm ready to get muddy. Sometimes I accidentally swim before I ride and run afterwards.

Erinne

My bike racing career started back in 2010 when a couple of friends rode with me to David Douglas, one of them lent me his Bianchi San Jose, and I came in 1st for beginner women. It remains one of my only 1st place finishes, but it got me hooked. I've been racing on the dirt every season since, and actually managed to podium at Short Track this past season in women 2 through sheer force of showing up and racing mid-pack. For many years I was on Team Slow, a great group of friends - but most of them no longer race so the team fizzled. I'm looking forward to being on a more active team! Though I had a couple of injuries that kept me from racing most of this season, I'm excited to get back into it.
I've not done any road racing - unless you count Mt Tabor's fixed gear category or the Steens Mazama 1000. I think I'll be riding the Swift Summit 200 next year (previous years I was kept away by...getting married and my first anniversary). If I ever have the time, I dream of more self-supported endurance events like Bike Nonstop US and the Tour Divide. #Dreams.
When I'm not racing but I am on a bike, I enjoy loaded touring (on and off-road), gravel, long road rides, and a little mtbing. I also dabble in running. I can be found the last Friday morning of (almost) every month on the Steel Bridge, handing out free coffee and pastries to people biking and walking as a volunteer for Breakfast on the Bridges. Our November/December holiday edition is on December 20--please stop by if you're a bridge commuter.
For my jobby-job, I work at Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership in communications, community relations, and fundraising. My husband Kirk and I share our car-free home with our adorable dog Cordi and Gimli the bearded dragon.

Jeff

Race age: 25
Disciplines: cyclocross, road
I grew up in small town PNW and settled in Portland a few years ago after becoming enamored with the robust cycling culture here. When not racing and/or crashing into barriers I can be found staring deeply into my Garmin during intervals or at my local bar consuming recovery drinks.

Shannon

In 2018 I bought my first bike as an adult. I figured that I'd need one to ride around with my young kids and it would make my cyclist husband happy that we could do some short rides together. I didn't think I'd ever consider myself a 'cyclist'.  A few months later I attended my first cyclocross event as an observer at Alpenrose. I was immediatly  hooked and I hadn't even participated. Later in the season I worked up the courage to race at Cascade Locks. After being pulled from the course due to a huge thunder, lightning and hail storm I was determined to try again next year. 2019 was my first year competing in the full cyclocross season. Moving forward I am adding gravel races to the calendar in addition to cyclocross. When I'm not on a bike you'll find me cooking, crafting or downhill skiing.

Cody

A couple months before Cody turned 35 he bought his first adult bike, an unassuming used road bike with the primary intention of commuting to work and replacing his indoor cardio routine. Within weeks he was addicted and somewhere along the way he got the gravel bug, picked up a dirt worthy drop bar bike and kicked off his racing career with the 2019 Gorge Gravel Grinder and an inaugural CX season the following fall. You’ll find him doing laps through forest park or The Dalles, getting ready for his next gravel race

Leo

I'm Leo and 2019 was my first year racing junior cyclocross at seven years old.  I raced bikes before my mom or dad. I like riding a bike because it's fun and exciting. I like doing bike stuff with my family. I love to go to Gateway Green. My bike goal right now to to learn how to bunny hop my 'cross bike. When I get old enough I want to race cross country mountain bikes.

Ben Drucker

I moved to Oregon in 1993 and that winter I tried my first bike race.  It was cold and muddy.  My sneakers kept slipping off my platform pedals and my long johns kept getting hooking on my saddle.  I didn't try it again until 2011.  Now I race Masters A cyclocross, with some Cat 3 road mixed in.  This year I aim to do more mountain bike rides and races.

Other things I do: run a bit (mostly Hood to Coast), write Android apps, eat vegan food.

Travis

Born deep in the bayous of Louisiana among crocodiles and shrimp boats in 1981, grew up in Battle Ground and Portland. He spent the last 8 years of his life in Tacoma where he cut his cycling teeth on the pothole-ridden, drive-by prone, chip sealed hills around the Puget Sound as part of Old Town Bicycle's dirt and road teams. Travis met and rode with Matt Smith and quickly developed an obsess - er - admiration for Matt. Moving back here meant the chance to once again get dropped by Matt and it was something that Travis would not pass up.
Travis thinks bikes are "all right" and does it for the coffee stops and an excuse for shaving his legs. Other things Travis does: bagpipes competitively; recycles, eats sushi, tries on Assos clothing and acts like the price isn't the reason he's putting it back, falls over during yoga, watches Archer, crushes a bit too hard on Fabian Cancellara, talks trash about Starbucks coffee (but eats their cake pops), and adheres to the following rules: fondue is not a meal; soup is not a meal; if you have to wipe more than 3 times you should just get in the shower; you need to save the word phenomenal for things that are actually phenomenal.
Travis will be reentering the cyclocross racing world after a 1.5 season break (because he had a bad couple of races and got grumpy and sold all his 'cross stuff and pouted in front of the TV).

Bill

Disciplines: XC MTB, Cyclocross, Road I grew up mountain biking in Corvallis, OR. I didn't start racing until later in my life so I still have lots to learn. I like to keep things fun by riding in new places with the team, friends, my wife, or sometimes alone.