Laurel Hess

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Whether you are just learning to ride for the first time, upping your game to serious fitness cycling, or racing bikes at any level, Coach Laurel Hess looks forward to helping you as she has helped many riders before.

A successful racer herself, Laurel is a Level 3 certified USA Cycling Coach who holds several group exercise certifications. She earned a degree in Sports Management with a concentration in Health and Fitness so she could help others experience the joys of healthy, fitness-oriented or competitive lifestyles. Having recovered from two serious accidents, Laurel is distinguished from other coaches by her experience being knocked down and rising again. She understands the frustration of needing to rebuild fitness or confidence after a setback.

Laurel’s coaching style is optimistic, goal driven, loyal and inspiring. She deeply wants her clients to succeed in reaching their goals. She has had particular success mentoring beginner, women, youth, and intermediate riders, and helping children learn to ride bikes by breaking down the key elements of balance, coordination, and concentration. Laurel is an expert at adjusting bikes for comfort and efficiency.

Laurel has helped many active older adults lose weight through strength training. She has also instructed conditioned athletes such as the Indy Fuel Hockey team using cycle classes as active recovery. Laurel has extensive experience racing road and track and has assisted with camps involving riding techniques, form, safe crashing, motor pacing, and cadence during time trialing events.

Laurel started cycling as a young junior, beginning with her school fundraising Bike-a-Thon, three editions of RAGBRAI (ride across Iowa) and then joining her first cycling team at age 11. Her experience with regional race courses and conditions runs deep from her high school years of competing in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, many times traveling alone by train to races. Laurel won the Iowa Junior Rider of the Year award and took the Junior Women’s State Road Race, Time Trial and Criterium titles.

Laurel understands the challenges of the busy athlete. Her biggest cycling successes came during her junior year at Marian College, while she was also working full time. Dedicated and driven, she many times rode her bike to her job, worked eight hours, then rode after work to races at the Northbrook, Kenosha and Major Taylor Velodromes, on top of road racing on the weekends. That year she medaled in the Collegiate National Track Cycling Championship 500-meter event and several team events.

In her spare time Laurel enjoys reading comic books. She and her husband, Eric, share a love for DC superheroes and even had a comic book-themed wedding. Laurel runs a Girl Scout troop for her two elementary-aged daughters. She and her family love the outdoors, adventuring frequently during the year in their camper with their two dogs. Laurel enjoys early morning workouts while her family is still asleep, watching the sun hit the Indianapolis skyline as she drives to the gym, fresh coffee in hand.

Events: General Cycling Fitness, Gran Fondos – Centuries, Learn to Ride, Road Racing, Track Cycling

Services: Clinics/Camps, Consultation, Learn to Ride, Skills Training, Training Programs

Specialties: Beginning Racing, Beginning Riding, Criterium, General Fitness, Junior Athletes, Return from Injury, Road Skills, Student Athletes, Track Skills, Women Athletes, Working Athletes

"Laurel is an excellent coach, a real people person. Her enthusiasm for all things related to exercise is contagious and in no time at all I started to see results. Laurel provided just the right amount of intensity and drive, she was intuitive and knew when to push and when to pull back because she genuinely wanted me to be successful with my exercise program." ~ Pam D.

"Laurel leads by example and has never turned down an opportunity to learn or teach others. Her attitude is contagious and her work ethic is great. She works well with all types of people and is able to que and coach in a positive, uplifting manner." S. Kirlin

"I had the pleasure of meeting Laurel many years ago in her cycling class at University Park YMCA in Akron, Ohio. Her class was always fun, challenging, and engaging. She is very knowledgeable about fitness and cycling, and is a huge reason I became an instructor myself." ~Richelle Short, Cycling Instructor @ Lake Anna YMCA

"Laurel was my first spin class instructor. She saw me wearing a CIBA ride t-shirt and invited me to sit in her class. She is A LOT of fun. She would pick fun music as well as do narratives for the class. For instance, when it was Halloween, she would play creepy music and tell us to be heroes and spin as hard as we could to save the day. Laurel is a talented cyclist and a nice person. I would recommend her classes to anyone." ~Katie L

"What an amazing person first and foremost, she was the first to approach me about spin classes, me being relatively new to the gym, she made me feel comfortable, always positive and upbeat, her classes always have a theme which ads a fun element to a great workout. That was 4 years ago and she continues to inspire me with her passion and work ethic." ~Kevin M.