The end of each year brings a fresh opportunity to celebrate our achievements, embrace our growth, and set our sights on new goals. As the racing season winds down, athletes reflect on their journeys—honoring hard-won victories, overcoming challenges, and cherishing the unforgettable experiences of pursuing their dreams. Every mile, every pedal stroke, and every early morning, or late night equates to the athlete’s story. This self-reflection fuels future success and keeps us daydreaming on days we may not have it, so we asked our athletes to share their standout moments from the 2024 season.

Here’s what they had to say about their most significant moments of the 2024 season.

Carter Anderson

High: One of my highest highs was BWR California at the end of April. This felt like a breakout ride for me, achieving numbers I’d never seen before. After putting in so much work during the winter, finishing in the top 10 against some of the best competition in the U.S. was incredibly rewarding.

Low: Shortly after that, everything came sliding down. I couldn’t train and could barely ride 250 watts for an hour without feeling empty. After many blood tests, I found out I had Epstein-Barr, which sidelined me for the rest of the season.

Dealing with this mentally was rough, but I’m excited to get back to training and give next season another crack.

Nathan Spratt

High: Making it back to the front group at Valley of Tears gravel after chasing hard for 60 miles.

Low: Getting sick for 10+ weeks that knocked out most of my season.

Crazy: At Big Sugar, we were ripping hard down a windy false flat, and Lachlan was at the front, rolling 30+ mph. Suddenly, a deer shot out from the trees, coming within inches of clipping Lachlan's bars. We all sat up for a solid 30 seconds, feeling the adrenaline as we realized how close we had come to disaster.

Lauren Brandon

High: My highest moment was my 4th place finish at Ironman Cairns, where I put together what I believe was my best race to date.

Low: My lowest moment was struggling through tough marathons at several Ironman events this year.

Competing in two gravel races was a ton of fun! Maybe I’ll have to do more in the future! : )

Kyle Trudeau

High: A highlight of the season was landing 4th in the BWR Triple Crown series. It was great reassurance that all the work I put in had paid off.

Low: Missing Unbound due to canceled flights was a tough pill to swallow, as I couldn’t apply all the hard work I had done.

Caroline Tory

High: Mile 60 of Unbound was memorable; I looked around at our group, still 30 women deep, and felt a mutual understanding and excitement. It was a historic moment for women’s racing, and I’ll never forget being part of it!

Low: I didn’t have any super lows; my season was consistent with no major mechanicals, injuries, or DNFs. However, I didn’t have a breakout race, leaving me feeling a bit unsatisfied for 2024. It's fuel for the fire!

Marc Spratt

High: Winning Crooked Gravel was my highest moment; it was my first gravel win, and performing at high elevation felt amazing!

Low: My lowest moment was imploding at mile 85 of Unbound, leading to a long, mostly solo ride to the finish. I put a lot of work into my training leading up to it, so failing so early was devastating.

At Big Sugar, while chasing behind Lachlan, a deer shot across the road, and I nearly went over his front tire. The man made it around Australia in record time and almost got taken out by a deer in the last race of the year—wild!

Emma Grant

High: A last-minute pivot after Crusher was up in smoke allowed me to race Crooked Gravel in Winter Park, where I shared the podium with Marc.

Low: Taking a hard Fosbury flop 10 miles into a 120-mile race at the Gunni Grinder was tough, but I soldiered on powered by adrenaline. Unfortunately, it came back to bite me, ending my season prematurely.

I’ve been cramping like it’s a self-imposed PhD that I haven’t graduated from yet! Races can shift from hero to zero in a heartbeat, and I’m often recruiting whatever accessory muscles I can to maintain momentum.

Cody Beals

High: Coming within 20 seconds of winning IRONMAN Chattanooga with my best bike and run of my career was exhilarating. Those 20 seconds will haunt me!

Low: Losing most of my season to a treatment-resistant parasite was tough, but finally getting better allowed me to salvage some late-season racing.

My last three IRONMANs all had canceled swims, which taught me more about time trial format races than I ever wanted to know. It took three tries to nail my strategy and pacing on the bike.

Lauren Stephens

High: Winning the Tour of the Gila was my highest high. I remember suffering so badly my first time there in 2011, telling myself I’d be a high school teacher and not a pro racer. Look at me now!

Low: There’s nothing specifically low regarding bikes; I remind myself I choose to be here, so it’s always a good day! However, one long ride in Wyoming felt like it would never end, battling the wind and mountains.

Anna Hicks

High: Racing in the Grand Prix and privateering for brands I believe in while connecting with fellow Ventum athletes was incredibly fulfilling.

Low: Crashing in April meant I had to sit out Sea Otter, my favorite race. Thankfully, my pretty pink NS1 survived the crash! Jumping into big races like Leadville and Unbound later in the season was also a challenge I hadn't planned on.

Zach Calton

High: Getting the North Ogden Divide KOM on my second ride on my NS1 was huge for me. This climb is where I do most of my intervals, and I’ve been chasing the leaderboard for years.

Low: Feeling strong at Unbound and breaking a vital clip for my hydration system cost me precious time and energy, which was frustrating given the work I put in.