Big Guy in a Little Boat: How This Track Cycling Champion Became an America's Cup Sailor

From Champion Cyclist to America's Cup Sailor - John Croom's Inspirational Athletic Odyssey
Episode 186 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast" features a fascinating conversation with CTS Coach John Croom, who defied norms to make the leap from a team sport heavyweight to a professional track cyclist and now an America's Cup sailor with the American Magic team. This episode chronicles Croom's physical transformation and mental fortitude, providing a goldmine of motivation and insight for heavier cyclists looking to leverage their size rather feel ostracized or disadvantaged because of it.
// Topics in this episode:
02:30 - John Croom's background and heavyweight pathway into sports
09:39 - Training and weight loss journey to become an elite cyclist
15:47 - Croom's struggle to balance fueling and weight management
20:08 - Croom's advice for effective weight loss and management
26:07 - Training and advancing to a Track Cycling National Champion
32:58 - Transitioning from Track Cycling to America's Cup Sailing
41:54 - A cyclist's role on an America's Cup sailboat
51:26 - Why John Croom is still working as a cycling coach
// Guest: John Croom
John Croom started his athletic career as a 305-pound football player turned wrestler before finding track cycling. Even at 200-215 pounds, he was frequently told he was too large to be competitive as a cyclist, but he persevered and won 8 USA Cycling National Championships on the velodrome! Shortly after realizing he would not qualify for Team USA for the 2024 Olympics, he seized an opportunity to join the American Magic professional sailing team as they prepare to compete for the 37th America's Cup. John continues to work as a CTS Coach.
// Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 14 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.
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[@carlpinkney4834]

Great episode, especially from a guy that is actually coaching me now you actually get to see a whole new different layer of him understand some of the hard decisions that he’s making with in training