“Mips is leading the charge in scientific research that will help us better understand head injuries and make a real difference in how we talk about and approach brain protection for athletes in action sports. By joining forces with Team Mips, I hope to help close that educational gap a bit and at the same time inspire more people to get out there and share my passion for riding.”
Date of Birth: October 29, 1995
Disciplines: XC Mountain bike
Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, United States
Nationality: US
Kate Courtney was born in 1995 and grew up in Marin County, California. When Kate was just 6 years old, she would ride a tandem bike with her dad up and down the trails of Mt. Tamalpais near their home not far from San Francisco. Actually, this area is also the very birthplace of mountain biking.
At Branson High School she joined the mountain bike team, and it was not until then she got really involved in the sport. She quickly developed into a great and ambitious cyclist and soon Kate was competing for the USA National Team in events around the World. In 2012, she became the first American woman ever to win a UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in the Junior category.
After high school Kate continued on to Stanford University and graduated in 2017 with a degree in human biology. Through her studies she got very interested in learning more about brain injuries; how to prevent them but also how to recover from brain trauma. That same season Kate won the U23 Overall World Cup. She was now more than ready for the elite World Cup. In her first year, 2018, she placed 8th overall. The season ended on a high note when Kate came from behind to win the World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. With this victory, Kate became the first American in 17 years to win a MTB World Championship.
In 2019 Kate joined the SCOTT-SRAM team and won three World Cup XC events, two World Cup XCC events and went on to secure the UCI MTB World Cup Title – becoming the first American to do so in 17 years. Of course, Kate also secured her spot as a member of the US Olympic team for Tokyo 2020.
