I’ve worked at LinkedIn for four years now and for the first couple of years I kept my bike riding a secret. They have this leaderboard at the gym at work that shows the amount of miles you’ve ridden in the year. I had this rule that no one could follow me and track my activities. I didn’t want my colleagues to know that on Wednesday I went for a 3-hour ride while I was at work. People were constantly trying to figure out who this mysterious girl was who had ridden 10,000 miles this year!
At first, I was really shy about being a professional cyclist who also had a high performing job in the tech world. It wasn’t until recently that I started to realize this is part of my story and I have to share it. The more I’ve opened up and shared my passion with my team at work, the more excited and supportive they are.
For the 2019 season I am riding for Sho-Air Twenty20 Pro Cycling, learning the ins-and-outs of being a neo-pro and bringing what skills I can bring to the team. It’s an incredible growth opportunity, for which I am very grateful. Previously, I was the captain of Team Mikes Bikes, a reputable program in Northern California. As the team leader, I applied a lot of the same skills I use every day as a project manager at Linkedin to build a strong team culture focused on a single goal – going for the win on the cycling side just as I do in my professional life.
The wonderful thing about working in tech is the flexibility that allows you to pursue other passions. Balancing two careers requires discipline because I only have a small window to get my workout in. If I’m not feeling motivated at that moment, tough luck! I have to go out and ride my bike or risk not getting a ride in at all. Some days I work out three times a day between meetings and phone calls. I might have 2 hours in the morning, 30 min of core strength in the afternoon then come back home and get on the rollers for another hour. I don’t have the luxury of rolling out at 10am for 4 hours followed by having lunch and taking a nap. I have to constantly find inventive ways to fit everything in.
Traditionally Chinese parents view everything outside of school and work as a hobby.
That being said, I believe cycling has had a really positive impact on my tech career, particularly in the connections I create with other women. Usually I join engineering teams where the vast majority of employees are men. It’s so rewarding to see how excited the females are, not just to have another woman on their team, but one in a leadership position. Racing has given me a lot of confidence to go head-to-head with the boys and I enjoy mentoring other women in tech who are struggling to speak up in a male dominated environment. It’s a huge motivation for me.
I’ve been incredibly lucky to have an amazing support network of people to help me in this journey, however I struggle to share my cycling passion with my family. Traditionally Chinese parents view everything outside of school and work as a hobby. They were very sad when I failed calculus in high school and didn’t want to pursue a career as a chemist or a doctor. When I finally came to work at LinkedIn they thought “Ah, she’s made it!” However, when I told them I was going to race my bike at the national level, they were most concerned I was not going to be able to maintain my job and my health benefits. I give them hints, but it’s not easy for them to understand how much this means to me. It goes beyond making money in the work place. It’s about purpose.
People have asked me if I’d give up my job to pursue a professional cycling career. I think about it quite a bit and I realize for me, that’s the line in the sand. I love what I do on both sides. I love keeping busy and I can’t imagine my life any other way. It’s extremely challenging, but while I have the drive and the discipline to keep going – why not have your cake and eat it too?
Follow my adventures in bike racing and big tech on Instagram @passedbyagirl or connect with me on Linkedin.
Photos by Nick Wilson https://nickwilson.smugmug.com/
Tags: cycling, linkedin, tech industry, womenscycling Last modified: Jan 19, 2020
