Cyclocross

Raylyn Nuss

Elite Women’s National Team Member

D.O.B	January 5, 1991
Hometown	Dardenne Prairie, Missouri

School	Central Methodist University (B.S. Biology)
Residence	Lawrence, Kansas

Pro Teams

Privateer (2017-2019), Orange Seal Off-Road Team (2019), Started Steve Tilford Foundation Racing in (2020 - Current)

Meet the Athlete

From the time Raylyn could walk, she grew up dribbling a basketball. Basketball was her life. She grew up playing all the team sports as well as competitive swimming. She ran xc and track in high school in the basketball off-seasons, but basketball was always her real passion. She played all four years of college as point and shooting guard closing her career as an All-American. After University, she started a career at Pfizer in microbiology and then transitioned to the chemistry side as an Analytical Scientist while also coaching high school basketball. In parallel to her working career, she started to dabble with triathlon, and competed in several olympic age-group national championships. And then… she found her love for bikes, and most specifically cyclocross!

The sport of cyclocross is so unique to anything she had ever done, but it was like the compilation of her athletic career compounded into this sport where you had to hop on/off the bike, run with your bike on your shoulder, and also be able to go full-throttle for 50 minutes while finessing muddy ruts. She dove headfirst into the sport in 2017. In 2020, she realized that if she wanted to take her abilities to the next level she would need to quit her job as a scientist. She was able to focus and reduce a lot of the stress around juggling vacation time and being able to travel to all of the races that she needed to be at. 2021 was her inaugural year directing and racing for the Steve Tilford Foundation Racing team - she found herself winning the 2021 Pan American Championships, and placing 2nd at Nationals. Her goal was to qualify for her first Worlds Championships in Fayetteville, AR. Not only did she qualify, she finished 15th.

She’s excited to see how far she can take her abilities in this sport while advocating for the sport of cyclocross and paving the path for the next wave of athletes. Right now she is driven to help cultivate strong communities through the sport of cycling by mentorship and development of young athletes. She wants to focus on mentorship through encouragement of education and life outside of the bike. Building stronger communities through healthy, educated, and well-rounded individuals that have passion and love for racing their bikes. Finding true fulfillment in life by being present in each moment, and seizing every opportunity to make the most out of each day.

Growing up, how did youth sports impact who you are today?

Playing team sports my entire life has really molded me into the person that I am today. Being a part of a team not only teaches you teamwork, leadership, time management skills, etc. it also helps show you that when you work together as a unit towards the same goal - it's so much more enjoyable when you achieve those goals with those around you.

What is one of the most pivotal experiences you've had that helped get you to where you are today?

Launching the Steve Tilford Foundation racing team during the 2020 Covid year just after I had quit my job as a Scientist. The culmination of launching a team alongside a foundation truly fueled me and added another layer of motivation for the 2021 race season. Winning the 2021 Pan American Championships was more for my team staff and the Foundation than it was for me. A symbol of resilience not only for myself, but for the team, and everything it took to make the season a reality.

What is your favorite post-ride meal?

I LOVE ending a long ride at a good coffee shop. Recovery carb-loading up on a delicious burrito with a pastry of the day and post ride cortado! I favor breakfast burritos, but I almost never start a ride early enough to actually consume a breakfast burrito for breakfast. So more of a brunch-burrito FTW - eggs, potatoes, black beans: the works!

Points of Interest

Winning the 2021 Pan American Championships (Photo: Kenza Barton Schlee)

2022 CX World Championships - My first world champs appearance in front of a home crowd. Clenching a top 15. (Photo: Bruce Buckley)

2nd place at the 2021 CX Nationals in DuPage County - my best Nationals result since I've started racing and was a proper mudder. It was an extra special weekend for me because it was my teammate, friend, mentor - Stephen Hyde's last professional race, and it was really special to be a part of that. (Photo: Kenza Barton Schlee)