Homer’s Kristen Faulkner came out of relative obscurity to win not one, but two gold medals in cycling at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Jamie Diep spoke with Faulkner on Friday about how growing up in Homer shaped her fast-paced journey to the podium.
Editor’s note: The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Jamie Diep: You went from gradually making a name for yourself in professional cycling to winning the first American Road Race and Team Pursuit in decades. How has that been for you throughout your time at the Olympics?
Kristen Faulkner: Yeah. You know, each race has been really special in their own way. You know, the first road race I think for the U.S. in 40 years. To be honest, I actually didn’t know that fact until after the race, and I wasn’t really thinking about what’s been done in the past or what hasn’t been done. I was just thinking about, you know, ‘how do I win this race?’ And afterwards, people came up to me and told me, you know, the history of it, and it made it quite special and quite unique.
And the same with the team pursuit, actually. It was the first time the U.S. has ever won gold in Team Pursuit. And so that was really special. I think we, we knew we had a really strong team going in. But we also knew that we had to pull a lot of things together on race day, and we had to really have a perfect race in order to win. So they were each very different races, very different journeys to get there, very different preparation. And the road race was more of an individual event. The team pursuit was more of a team event. And so they felt very different, even though they were both bike races. And so each win is very special in its own way.
JD: Let’s talk about the road race. You know, that was an incredible finish. What was going through your mind as you pulled ahead of the pack in those last few miles of the race?
KF: Well, I knew I needed to attack the group before the finish and go away solo to the finish line. And the reason is that I was not the fastest sprinter in the group. I was probably the weakest sprinter, and so I didn’t want to go to the line, because there were four of us and only three medals. And so I said, ‘If I go to the line with these girls, I’m probably not going to end up with a medal.’ And so I knew that the best moment to attack would be as soon as we caught those front two riders, because that’s when everyone was going to be the most tired. And so I said, ‘Okay, as soon as we catch them, I have to go.’ And it’s kind of a now-or-never moment, you know, I need to attack, and I need to go all in, and I can’t look back. And if it works and I’m going to win, and if it doesn’t work, I‘m gonna get fourth. But those are the cards I had to play. And in road racing, you really have to think on your feet. You have to go all in with your decision, and you can’t second-guess yourself, or won’t work. And so, yeah, I think in those last kilometers, I was like, ‘what is happening?’ But also at the same time, you know, just really focused on on the here and now and doing what I had to do to get across the line. There was no celebrating before the line. I wasn’t convinced I’d won until I was 500 meters from the finish line, and then I kind of knew, but yeah, it was a very calculated move, and I knew that I had to go all in, and I had to do it if I wanted the chance to win.
JD: What about the team pursuit? You were a later pick for the event. What was it like winning that race as a team versus the road race, which is an individual event?
KF: So actually the team pursuit, I’d been selected in June. So I was selected the same as all the other riders. There were five riders selected, four of which ended up racing, and so I knew quite early that I would be on that team. I think it was different, though, because I was the newest rider to the team. So the other three had ridden together at former World Championships. They’d rode together in Tokyo at the Olympics, and so I was the only one on the team who hadn’t ridden an Olympics with the team before. And I was also the only one who never won a medal in the event. And this was my very first year competing with the team. And so in many ways, I was the least experienced, and potentially the weakest one in the group in that way.
And physically, I was strong, but I was the least experienced, and so I guess I was the most unknown in the group. And so I think that race was really special to me, because I think I went into it feeling like, if we don’t get a medal, it might be on me, because, you know, they’re all experienced, and I’m showing up as the least experienced one. And so I felt that I had to really level up my game and really prove myself that I belong there.
So the last year has been such a deep learning trajectory. You know, I’m surrounded by three riders who were all way better than me a year ago, and I really felt that I had to earn my spot on that team. You know, I wasn’t the one who’d earned a medal. I hadn’t been to Tokyo before. And so the last year has been, I don’t want to say like an uphill battle, but that’s really, you know, what it is like, having to earn my cards on that team and to earn the respect of my teammates.
And so when, even though I was selected for the team, I still had a lot that I needed to improve on, and a lot to learn. And so on race day, I felt, you know, we had gold-medal potential, and I really wanted to contribute to the team winning, and I wanted to make sure that they felt confident that they’d selected me for the team, you know. And I had to earn that spot, and I really had to earn that spot. And so when we went into the race, I just said that you know, like, I have to make this the race of my life. I have to fight for my life, and I have to give 100% for my teammates.
JD: In the midst of winning these races and doing all of these things. I’m sure it’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but we’re all still human. So after your races, what was the first thing that you ate, both for the road race and the team pursuit?
KF: Well, actually the first thing that I ate was a cold Coca-Cola after the road race, because I needed the bubbles. You know, it was hot out. I needed the sugar, I needed the hydration. And so actually I crossed the finish line and I was given one Coca Cola, and I finished it right away. And I said, ‘Do you have a second one? I need a second one.’ So I actually had two Coca-Colas, were the first thing that I consumed after I crossed the finish line in the road race.
And then in the team pursuit, when I crossed the finish line, actually the first thing was just my recovery shake. It had, like, it was like a protein shake with a little bit of sugar. But then I also had some gummy bears, because I needed to just, you know, get some sugar in me.
And then when I came home, I think I had a really good dinner with some salmon, and I had a chocolate croissant for dinner, because I’ve been holding off on the chocolate croissant since I got to France. I don’t know how I had the willpower to not have one until then, but yeah, that night, I had a chocolate croissant, and it was absolutely delicious.
JD: You’re from Homer, but you didn’t really get a start in cycling until you moved to New York and took all of those classes. So how did growing up in Homer shape you as an athlete?
KF: It made me really resilient, you know, I think Alaskans are just resilient people. I think the upbringing, as a child in Alaska, you’re just exposed to more things, you know? You, you go to the wilderness, it’s the extreme cold. There’s a lot of independence. And in the culture, I think this kind of element of, you know, modern self-sufficiency in in Alaska, you know. We’re not, we’re not living subsistence in Alaska, but there’s still this element of, you know, it’s still kind of the free land up there, you know, and and so I think there’s this really strong sense of independence in the culture.
I think Alaska made me really tough. It made me feel that whatever I wanted in life, I really had to work for. It taught me to really be independent and have conviction in my own belief. And I wasn’t surrounded by the media growing up, I was, I don’t want to say off the grid, but Alaska as a state is a bit off the grid, you know? And in that sense, I think learning to just trust my gut and be independent and not think too much about what the rest of the world thinks, I think, is a really valuable lesson as a kid.
You know, the other thing is just my parents made me work a lot when I was a kid, (I) work(ed) in the hotel. I was scrubbing toilets as a housekeeper for a long time. I worked in landscaping. I was a busser in the restaurant. And so, you know, learning the value of hard work as a kid as well. So those are all really important things.
And you know, I think one of the most underrated things also is the sense of community. So when you, when you grow up in a really small town, you have teachers as your neighbors and everyone kind of knows each other and watches out for each other. And that’s something that I didn’t realize how much I needed and how much I valued for the first half of my life. And then when I moved to New York City, I realized it was such a big place and there were so many people, and I really missed that small-town feel. And that’s when I realized that if I wanted that, I really had to cultivate it. And part of the reason why I joined a cycling team is I really wanted that kind of team camaraderie, that community feel that I had in college sports and that I had growing up in Homer.
And when the Olympics came around, I had so many friends and family that came over to support me, and it just made me realize just how much of a huge deal it is when you, when you have people around you that have known you for so long, seen you struggle. Have seen you work hard? Have seen you when you fell, when you got back up. And I think having that community support me my whole life, hearing them cheer for me from when I went to Paris, and having babysitters and friends wearing T-shirts and said, ‘Go Kristen.’ You know that just meant so much to me, and really gave me a lot of strength, and made me realize that they really believed in me, but also they would be there for me no matter what happened, and no matter whether I earned a medal or not, and I think that really meant a lot to me.
And yeah, that sense of community is something I hope Homer never lets go of, and I hope it continues to cultivate, because it makes a big difference in people’s lives like me.
JD: Finally, what’s next for you on and off the race course? Are there plans to return the Homer? I know that our mayor, Ken Castner, has mentioned holding a bike parade to celebrate your win.
KF:Â Yeah, I actually have the Tour de France that starts in three days. So on the bike. That’s my next big goal, very soon with my EF-Oatly-Cannondale teammates. And so I’m really excited for that. It’ll be an eight-day stage race. It starts in Rotterdam, and then it kind of goes all the way through the east coast of France, all the way south. So that’s my first on-the-bike goal.
And then my kind of off-the-bike plans, I’m actually going to spend Christmas in Alaska this (December), so I will be returning home. And I just want to give a big hug to everyone who supported me, everyone who cheered for me, everyone who had ‘Go Kristen’ shirts, everyone who didn’t, you know, everyone who just has been there to support me this whole time. You know, I had people who I swam with as a little kid that were posting about what it was like to swim with me, and they were cheering me on and wishing me good luck. And I just want to give all those people a really big hug and tell them thank you, because they gave me so much support and strength when I needed it, and I think it made a big difference.
JD: Thank you so much.
KF: Okay, thank you. I appreciate it.
