USACYCLING  • Alise Willoughby
Alise Willoughby 2024 Athlete Bio 430x360
BMX Racing
Paris Olympic Team - BMX Racing
Tokyo Olympic Team - BMX Racing

Alise Willoughby

Elite Women's National Team Member, 4x Olympian, Rio 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist, 3x World Champion

D.O.B January 17, 1991
Hometown St. Cloud, Minnesota
Residence Chula Vista, California
Pro Teams Team Toyota/ Daylight Cycle Co.
Meet the Athlete

A former state champion gymnast, track and field athlete, a full-time student while simultaneously rising through the BMX Racing ranks, Alise Willoughby (maiden Post) became the first woman ever voted Rookie Pro of the Year by BMXer Magazine, as well as the youngest competitor to win the USA BMX Professional Series at 15 years old. In 2014, Willoughby won her 3rd USA BMX Women’s Pro Series title in Tulsa, the same year her mother passed away from late-stage melanoma cancer, as chronicled in the film “Every Pedal With You” that followed Willoughby’s 2014 competition season. She won her 10th USA BMX Women’s Pro title in 2022. Also in Tulsa, she captured her 11th USA Cycling National Championship in April 2023. Throughout her career, Willoughby has endured multiple surgeries, including an LCL, knee and hamstring reconstruction one year prior to the London 2012 Olympic Games, and a broken tibia plateau 12 weeks before medaling at the 2014 World Championships. Along with her mother’s passing and injury record, Willoughby has faced further life-changing adversity when her (now) husband, Sam Willoughby, suffered a C6 Spinal Cord Injury with permanent paralysis as a tetraplegic just weeks after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. She understands the impact mobility has on people’s everyday lives. Following the incident, Sam put his coaching hat on and has been at Alise’s side through two World Championship titles and the Tokyo Olympic Games. The pair continue to impact lives globally on and off the track. Notably, the feature-length documentary ‘RIDE: A Brutal Fairytale’ premiered in late 2022, sharing powerful messaging on love, community, disability, perseverance, and strength. Willoughby and her family are the driving force behind Pineview Park BMX in St. Cloud, Minnesota, which helped transform a vandalized city park into one of the top BMX facilities in the country over 25+ years of volunteer effort.

What is your favorite post-ride snack/meal?

A Klean Athlete Protein Smoothie!

A Klean Athlete Protein Smoothie!

What is your favorite quote or piece of advice to live by?

I know it might sound a bit cliché, but my mom always told me to "Never EVER Give Up" and I have hung on to those words.

I know it might sound a bit cliché, but my mom always told me to "Never EVER Give Up" and I have hung on to those words.

Growing up, how did youth sports, cycling or others, impact who you are today?
Sports are everything! I was a very competitive gymnast and track & field athlete alongside my BMX Career, right up through high school graduation. Competing at a high level, setting goals, practicing with different teams, creating lifelong relationships, juggling it all while being a good student, and riding the emotional wave of sport have all taught me skills that I can carry into any aspect of life confidently, and I believe successfully. Sports have definitely helped shape my character...

Sports are everything! I was a very competitive gymnast and track & field athlete alongside my BMX Career, right up through high school graduation. Competing at a high level, setting goals, practicing with different teams, creating lifelong relationships, juggling it all while being a good student, and riding the emotional wave of sport have all taught me skills that I can carry into any aspect of life confidently, and I believe successfully. Sports have definitely helped shape my character and I am grateful for the balanced life outlook they've provided me.

Points of Interest
ALISE WILLOUGHBY POI 1

2017 UCI BMX World Championships win in Rock Hill, SC

2016 Rio Olympic Games Silver Medal

ALISE WILLOUGHBY POI 2
ALISE WILLOUGHBY POI 3

2019 UCI BMX World Championship win in Zolder, Belgium

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