Brayden Johnson

U23 Cross Country World Cup Racer (XCO)

Biography

I grew up in West Jordan Utah, I tried most sports and I landed on football which I played for 4 years. In 2016 I transitioned to cycling, I raced NICA through 2019 and started racing nationally. I wasn’t the best but I had the most fun and I met a great group of people who are my best friends today. In 2020 my family and I moved to Littleton CO, I spent all of 2020 riding a ton and in 2021 I sucked a little less and started to win more. I love racing and chasing the win but I also love how cycling can be so many things, transportation, health, adventure and a way to be more social. I will ride my bike for as long as I possibly can.

"Consistently good instead of occasionally great"

Palmarès

3x National Champion

2021 Junior XCO / 2022 U23 XCC / 2023 U23 XCO

XCO World Cup Lenzerheide

4th U23 - 2023

Junior XCO World Cup Championship

5th - 2021

Favorite Strava Segment

Brayden's Top Picks

"Optygen. You get faster. Who doesn’t want to be faster?"

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"Ultragen. You can only train as hard as you recover."

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"EFS-PRO. Whether you’re training or racing, having all the carbs you
need in your water bottle makes it a lot easier to fuel."

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Q&A

Goal(s) for 2023:

Win a U23 XCO World Cup


What’s your favorite quote and where did you first hear it?

“Consistently good instead of occasionally great” -Jeff Cunningham.

I apply this quote in training and daily life. I think you should strive for greatness in races but I think applying this quote to your training and daily life is how you create longevity and show up to an event ready to exhibit greatness.


If you could have one superpower, which would you choose and why?

If I could have one super power it would be flying really fast with whatever I want because 10 hour planes rides are rough and so are baggage fees.


What’s your favorite website?

Quizlet duh


When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to go to Stanford to study and play Football then get drafted to the Denver Broncos to be a running back. If that didn’t work out my plan B was to be an Anesthesiologist. Clearly I was ambitious.


Proudest sporting moment? Proudest life moment?

My proudest moment was getting 4th at the Lenzerheide World Cup in 2023. I’ve dedicated myself to this sport and sometimes wondered if I will ever make it or if I can compete with the best.

That I race I proved to myself that I can race with the best and I believe that result led me to sign my first Professional Contract which has been a dream since I started racing.


Where is your “happy” place?

Deep in the San Juan Mountains with my bike and friends.


What is your most memorable meal?

I have a few memorable meals and they are all after a bike ride that went longer then expected. Most recent is spring 2023 in Santa Barbara CA myself and some friends aimed to go for a 3 hour backcountry mountain bike ride, a couple months prior Santa Barbara had some insane floods so turns out this ride was going to be an adventure. Long story short we forged a river that was chest high and the ride took 9 hours with only a few granola bars. We made it home and the first thing we did was eat 3 (each) In N Out Burgers, some Fries and of course a Milkshake, In N Out will never taste as good as it did in that moment.


Finish this sentence: “The world would be a better place if….”

Everyone rode bikes

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