Jewelry and Ceramics Teacher Cyclocrosses In Her Spare Time

Katy Perry’s “Firework” is blasting through the speakers as cowbells, horns, and the cheers of spectators echo throughout the course. But ceramics teacher Wanda Simchuk focuses on one thing only: passing the people in front of her, one person at a time.

“When I race, I am usually thinking, ‘Go get whoever is in front of me and don’t let anyone catch me,” said Simchuk.

Although she busies herself with teaching, meetings after school and driving her kids to and from after-school activities, she makes time to train for the cyclocross season during the fall and winter.

Cyclocross was originally started as a way for athletes to train during the off-season, and is a mix between road racing and mountain biking, Simchuk says. The races take place in forests or fields, where competitors bike through a one to two mile loop as many times as they can in an allotted time period. The length of their racing time is determined by the category and age group bikers are in.

Within the course, natural barriers cause riders to dismount their bikes and carry them. Fallen trees, steep hills, sand and small hurdles are common obstacles found in a cyclocross course.

“Cyclocross has every aspect of cycling,” said Mike Berning, friend of Simchuk. “One of the beautiful things about cross is not only do you have to be fit, but you have to overcome your opponents and overcome conditions.”

Cyclocross is a community, says Simchuk. Her friendship with Berning developed over the past few years when they continued to run into each other at races.

Simchuk has been riding bikes since she was 6-years-old. She met her husband, Todd Simchuk, while they were out bike riding and he introduced her to cyclocross. He told her it was just like long distance running, or cross country, only on bikes.

“I bet we can do it,” he told her.

She tried it once and she was hooked. Simchuk and her husband love cyclocross because it is both the most challenging and most fun thing they have ever done.

“Look at the conditions: it’s snowy, it’s cold, you’re up and down hills, you’re jumping on and off your bike,” she said. “That’s the best part, finishing and feeling great that you accomplished this.”

When Simchuk first started racing, she lived in Wyoming. She continues to be amazed at the growing popularity of cyclocross. When she first started racing, she would usually be the only woman to show up, along with ten other men, Simchuk says.

“We would just show up, make a course on the fly, and do it,” she said. “We all went off the block at the same time and raced for an hour.”

After marrying and having kids, she had little time to participate in cyclocross. However, she was keeping herself updated by frequently checking localcycling.com. In 2007, the National Cyclocross Competition was held in Kansas City, and there was a notice on the website asking for host families.

Nationals is a five day event where bikers from all over the country gather to race. Her guests, Brian, Jeremy, and Peter re-inspired her to participate in cyclocross, she said.

“It was the [best] time I ever had,” said Simchuk. “After they left I was just like, ‘I have to do this.’”

She started training and competing in local races after nationals that year, but in February of 2008 she had an accident that kept her from cycling for several months.

“I was coasting down a hill and a dog ran in front of me. I hit the dog head on, my bike flipped over and I fell on my chin,” Simchuk said. “To this day I don’t remember the crash.”

The doctor determined  that she had suffered from a broken neck as a result of her crash and had to get a metal plate and two screws inserted in her neck. Her skin was hanging in pieces off her mouth and she has many scars where it was stitched back together.

When she landed on the concrete, her helmet split. She sent her broken helmet back to the company with a letter explaining the accident. In response, the company decided to keep the helmet on display to show how well it worked.

“My helmet saved me,” Simchuk said. “I am the biggest advocate of helmet-wearing; I yell at kids I see on the street who aren’t wearing helmets.”

After six months of physical therapy and continuous epidurals, the pain was still persisting. Finally, she went to a neural surgeon for a second opinion. He was shocked that her previous doctor had been giving her epidurals because they were severing her spinal cord, which should have paralyzed her from the waist down.

He operated on her and when she woke up from surgery the pain was gone. She started training as soon as the doctor gave her the okay, in August, and she raced about three weeks later.

“I couldn’t wait to get back on my bike because I couldn’t remember the crash,” she said.

Simchuk has a cyclocross bike that weighs about 20 pounds that has knobby tires for the extreme conditions in which they ride. Her shoes click into the pedal of her bike, which helps her to go faster on her bike. She wears water resistant socks when needed and tight clothes to keep her warm in the cold weather. Cyclocross races are rarely canceled, and riders are used to the extreme conditions.

“This is cyclocross,” said Sandy Collins, friend of Simchuk. “Snow, mud, ice. It’s just blood and guts.”

At the last race of this cyclocross season, there was about a half-inch of snow on the ground. It was slick, but that didn’t stop Simchuk. When she passed through the finish line, everyone was cheering wildly for her as she placed first in her category.

“Everybody [roots] for everybody else,” announcer Roger Harrison said. “It’s just one big blast.”

Harrison is a long time friend of Simchuk’s. Although he doesn’t compete, Harrison promotes cyclocross by playing music at the competitions.

Simchuk loves the atmosphere of races because of the great feeling of comeradery among the bikers. After racing, friends congratulate Simchuk on her win, and those who came in right after her banter about how they will beat her next time.

“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my lifetime,” she said. “But I’m going to ride as long as I can.”