Twin Cities girl winning mountain biking championships 2 years after starting sport
A young Apple Valley, Minnesota, girl is making a name for herself in the male-dominated sport of mountain biking.
Fourteen-year-old Kinsley Oberding spends most of her days deep in the woods of Lebanon Hills Park in Eagan, navigating her bike through a winding trail.
"When I'm biking, I feel like my brain is just on autopilot and that's really nice because I'm not worried about anything," she said.
Her bike is where Oberding is at peace.
"I just really like how free it makes me feel," Oberding said.
But cycling is also where she discovered how competitive she really is.
"I started riding about two years ago and I was not very good at it at the start, but I quickly found out that I do have some sort of talent," Oberding said.
In those short years, Oberding has won state championships and three national championships in mountain biking.
"Just the journey from being last at my first race to becoming a three-time national champion, it's incredible," she said.
Oberding put in the work to achieve these goals. She's riding any time she is not studying.
"Most of the time have to get up in the 4 o'clock hour, which is not very fun before school, and I ride until then, go to school and then most of the time maybe try to ride outside afterwards," she said.
This thrilling ride Oberding has been on is just the beginning of her journey.
"I absolutely love this sport and I love how much I've improved in the past two years, and I just want to keep improving, keep winning," she said.
On top of being an elite mountain biker, Oberding is also a ski racer and competes in that in the biking off-season.