At just 18 years old, Vida Lopez De San Ramon has already carved her name into the history books as the youngest female ever to win the USA Cyclocross National Championships at the Elite level. A fearless competitor and a rising star in both mountain biking and cyclocross, Vida is proving that limits exist only for those who accept them.
When I caught up with her, she was home for just a week and a half before heading straight to France for the World Championships. It’s a whirlwind life—balancing international racing, intense training, and university studies—but Vida embraces the chaos.
Photo Credit: USA CyclingWith an approach that blends fearlessness, resilience, and an unwavering passion for the sport, she’s inspiring a new generation of young women to dream big and chase down challenges like they were born for it.
“I don’t want to put limits on myself. I don’t want to be held back by fear or by what people think I should or shouldn’t be able to do.”
Vida’s journey started in Petaluma, California, at local dirt crit races. She recalls the exact moment she fell in love with racing:
“I was 10 years old, watching my older brother race. I remember thinking, ‘I could do this.’ The next week, I signed up, and from that moment, there was no turning back.”
But mountain biking wasn’t always her thing. She actually hated riding at first.
