In Megan Jastrab’s six years of competitive cycling, she has earned 29 national titles, three world titles and more than 50 medals. Jastrab is not sure exactly how many medals she has earned because she lost track after she hit 50.
A 17-year-old nursing major from Apple Valley, California, Jastrab grew up playing sports, spending time outdoors and of course, riding bikes. Jastrab was homeschooled, and if she had gone to public school, she would not have been able to cycle. Most public schools consider cycling to be an extreme sport and do not offer it at the highschool level. This led to Jastrab competing with a training and developmental team for five years before signing with the Rally UHC Trade pro team when she turned 17.
During her first year of competitive racing, Jastrab raced with the developmental team and earned her first national title in 2014 in Madison, Wisconsin.
During the cycling season, Jastrab races for both Milligan and Rally UHC. “With the trade team, there are a set number of races you have to compete in each year, but if you want to race at the collegiate level, you have to enter those races with a college team,” Jastrab said.
A cyclist becomes eligible to race in Worlds with a trade team when they turn 17. In Frankfurt, Germany, Jastrab earned her first world title during her first world race at the end of August. “It was the week before we started school, Jastrab said. “I flew from Germany then went back home for two days then came to Milligan. It was madness.”
One of the reasons Jastrab chose to attend Milligan is because few schools offer cycling as a collegiate sport. “I always wanted to go to a smaller Christian school,” Jastrab said. “The fact that Milligan offered me a cycling scholarship is a bonus.”
Jastrab chose to race for a trade team and for a collegiate team because she wanted to competitively race and still go to college. “Collegiate racing is much more relaxing,” Jastrab said.
Laney Butt, a sophomore cyclist double majoring in engineering and communications is a teammate of Jastrab’s. “Although I haven’t had the opportunity to race with Megan yet, I’m looking forward to it,” Butt said. “She’s an awesome friend.”
In September, Jastrab and other Milligan cyclists competed at the Collegiate Track National Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Jastrab won first place in the women’s individual pursuit. “She’s brought a great energy to the team, and her results are super impressive,” Butt said.
Jasttrab’s experience with UHC Rally has led her to feel there is much less pressure in collegiate racing. “Everyone (on Milligan’s team) just had the expectation of showing up, having fun and racing some bikes,” Jastrab said. “Whereas for Rally UHC you have to work so hard, and there is a lot of pressure just for one race.”
The most recent race Jastrab competed in with Rally UHC was held in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Each country is only allowed to send four riders to compete in this World Race. “I won the Nations’ Cup earlier this year in Italy and in the Netherlands, so that got me an automatic selection,” Jastrab said. She won first place out of 95 cyclists.
Normally, Jastrab has to fly home after her races, so she does not get to do much exploring. “Before races, you aren’t allowed to do anything because you have to conserve energy,” Jastrab said. The rules for cyclists before races are so strict that the competitors are not allowed to take stairs or spend time on their feet.
“This time after the race, I got to have some fun,” Jastrab said. During her time in the United Kingdom, she was able to watch an elite women’s race, compete in a “just for fun” online e-race, do some shopping and hang out with friends. “Because of Rally UHC I get to meet people from all over the world,” Jastrab said.
The next race Jastrab will be competing in is the Collegiate Mountainbike Nationals in California over fall break with Milligan’s cycling team. “This race is an hour away from where I am from, so I will also get to see my family,” Jastrab said. She is looking forward to traveling to her home state and “having my family bring the dogs too.”
Headline photo: Megan Jastrab smiles in her Milligan uniform.