Elle Anderson joins Killington Mountain School as Cycling Coach
Pro cyclocross racer Elle Anderson has stepped away from full-time racing to become the head coach for Killington Mountain School’s endurance cycling program. For Anderson, this concludes a professional racing career that spanned six years, five of which were spent competing in cyclocross races throughout Europe at the top level of the sport.
“To say that I’m excited, passionate, and ready to get started as KMS’s cycling coach is an understatement,'' said Anderson. “It was difficult for me to walk away from my own racing career. This chance to inspire the dreams of future cyclists, to nurture the next generation and watch them grow is the best next chapter I could hope for.”
As a cyclocross racer, Elle Anderson represented the US National Team in five consecutive Cyclocross World Championships and rode to an 8th place at the 2018 World Championships in Valkenburg, the Netherlands. Throughout her career, she placed in the top-10 at some of the most prestigious Belgian races such as the Koppenberg Cross, Superprestige Zonhoven, and the Superprestige Diegem. Anderson was one of the few American cyclocross racers to live in Belgium full-time and compete in a full World Cup and European calendar.
“When this past cyclocross season drew to a close in February, I felt something significant had changed for me. Whether it was burnout, a loss of passion, frustration due to sickness, or all of the above, I no longer had the motivation to race,” Anderson admits. “The next few months were a tough transition. The opportunity with Killington Mountain School has re-ignited the passion for me, but this time it’s to see other racers succeed, instead of myself.”
Covering cyclocross, road and cross-country mountain biking, Elle Anderson joins downhill mountain bike coach Jason DiDomenico to offer a full range of cycling disciplines at Killington Mountain School. For over 45 years, KMS has provided student-athletes, grades seven through post-grad, the opportunity to pursue excellence in the classroom balanced with athletics on the slopes, trail and road. Traditionally a snow-sports academy with well-known skiing, snowboarding and freestyle programs, the KMS Cycling Team was first introduced a decade ago to offer the same student-athlete advantage to cyclists.
"We couldn't be more thrilled to have Elle on board at Killington Mountain School” said Head of School, Tao Smith. “What she has accomplished in her career speaks volumes about what she will bring to the KMS Cycling Team. But it’s who she is as a person that we are perhaps most excited about. Elle has an infectious positive energy and is grounded in doing things ‘right’. We really look forward to the impact she will have on our students and the future growth of the team."
Brad Ramsay, a current math teacher at KMS, directed the program for the last seven years. To date, several successful cyclists have graduated from the KMS Cycling Team and the school is proud to be consistently recognized by USA Cycling as a Center of Excellence.
"Directing the KMS Cycling Team has been a wonderful adventure,” said Ramsay. “Playing a part in the success and development of some truly amazing youth is an honor and deeply gratifying. Having worked closely with Elle for the past few weeks, and witnessing the impact she has on young cyclists, I am confident that she is the right person to expand the tradition of excellence and help the program thrive far into the future."
This new opportunity also marks a homecoming for Anderson to her native state of Vermont, where she grew up as an alpine ski racer before switching to cycling at the age of 19.
“My goal is to positively impact the lives of the current and future cyclists at KMS. I hope to give these student-athletes the passion, skills, and work-ethic to be better people as well as better competitors. I am excited to create a team where all are welcome, supported, and given an equal chance at success, especially female athletes,” said Anderson.
The experience Anderson brings to Killington Mountain School isn’t limited to cycling, but includes a wealth of knowledge from a lifetime of being a successful athlete and student. She is a ski academy graduate (Burke Mountain Academy 2006) and attended Dartmouth College for a degree in Earth Science while competing on the Dartmouth Cycling Team.
“What I’ve come to realize is that sport often occupies such a short and fleeting phase in life. To make the most of it means committing to values, dreaming big, enjoying the journey, and being surrounded by the people and the resources that can support all of those things. That is what I hope to cultivate, nurture, and develop at Killington Mountain School for their cycling program”.
