At a time when most athletes are at their peak, 28-year-old cyclist Lily Williams is just getting started.
Williams, who has only been a professional cyclist for five years, already boasts an impressive resume, both on the road and Velodrome where she earned bronze for Team USA in the track cycling team pursuit at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Williams, who grew up watching the men’s Tour de France in her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, said the Tour is a big step for women’s cycling. Williams had an unconventional path to qualifying for the Tour. She was a high school track phenom and went on to run at Vanderbilt, specializing in cross country and the mile. During her time there, cycling was merely a way of getting around campus. It wasn’t until Williams started graduate school at Northwestern that she decided to take a break from running after getting a job at a bike shop. Her interest grew from there as she became friends with the cyclists who worked and shopped there.
After an already competition-filled season, Williams will put her talent to the test in France. As a specialist in sprinting, this will be Williams’ most difficult race to date, but she is thankful for the opportunity and the trajectory her career has taken.