CATCHING UP: KELSEY O’DONNELL For this month’s edition of “Catching Up” I decided to contact long time FTR member Kelsey O’Donnell to see what she has been up to this season. Kelsey has recently taken advantage of a new rule that allows for racers to race multiple classes in one day. A feat that only a few have decided to take on. KL: Hey Kelsey, thanks for reaching back out to me for this little interview. How’s it going? KO: It is going good! Thank you for reaching out to do this. KL: First things first, I have seen you around the FTR races for as long as I can remember. Exactly how long have you been involved with FTR? KO: Oh man, well I have been racing FTR on and off for 27 years now. More on than off in that duration. KL: Wow, you have me beat by a few years for sure. What classes are you racing these days?
KO: Well right now I am racing a few different classes. On Saturday I race the Evolution class and then I race Women A and A 200 on Sunday, as well as Women in the FTR Enduro series. KL: Sure sounds like you keep a busy weekend race schedule. I have noticed that you have been racing both the morning and afternoon on Sunday. What made you decide to compete in both races on Sunday? KO: For the last 10 years I have raced on both Saturday and Sunday back-to-back and I have always thought it would be cool to race as much as possible on the weekend. Now with the new rule change in effect I am able to “double-up” on Sunday’s. Trust me if I had a quad I’d be out there during their race too. KL: I couldn’t imagine racing that much. I am smoked after my race on Sunday afternoon. What is the toughest part of doing both races?
KO: I’d say the blisters but other than that it is getting changed and prepping the bike for the next race. Sometimes it is only a 30-minute window and if anything is wrong with the bike from the morning race it is definitely a small amount of time. KL: God forbid you have to change a flat or anything, that alone would make me too tired to race. What are your goals for this year? KO: I have been training more this year than I have in the past 27 years with the main goal of finishing Top 3 in the afternoon “men’s” class as well as winnning the Hare Scramble and Enduro Championships in the Women’s classes. KL: Sounds like some great goals to have and with your results you look well on your way to achieving them. Best of luck for the rest of the year and thank you for your time!
Photo by Tyler Miller FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS
