Jill Kintner is one of the most versatile and accomplished women (and humans for that matter) in the sport of cycling. From her early days racing BMX to winning an Olympic bronze medal and then on to dominating multiple mountain bike disciplines, Jill has spent decades accumulating successes on the bike.
In this interview, Jill shares fascinating insights on why BMX makes for such a good entry point to the sport, her inspiring Olympic journey that began with her father’s encouragement, and her current passion for coaching the next generation of elite athletes.
Whether you’re a parent looking to get your kids into BMX, an adult wanting to improve your mountain bike skills, or simply someone who loves hearing great stories from a bike legend, you won’t want to miss this conversation.
Listen To The Interview
Connect With Jill
👉 Instagram: @jillkintner
👉 Hot Laps: https://www.hotlapsmtb.com/
Early Days at the BMX Track
Growing up just blocks from a BMX track, young Jill spent countless hours developing the skills that would later define her career. “We lived literally like six blocks to the BMX track where I lived in Seattle where I grew up. So I had an older brother and we just missioned there and that was what we did for fun. We’d hit jumps in the ditches around our house… it was a huge part of like foundational skills, just like being on a bike, the ability to play.”
BMX As A Foundation
While many view BMX as a niche discipline, Jill points out that it’s actually a common foundation for many top cyclists. “You might find that there is way more crossover than you think,” she explains. “All the top XC people also have a BMX background.”
She attributes this partly to BMX’s accessibility: “I think because the bikes are cheaper… kids get a BMX bike because they can be 200 bucks or whatever before getting into like a $3,000 mountain bike. I think it’s the best point of entry.”
Tips for Adults Getting Started in BMX
For adults looking to improve their cycling skills, Jill strongly advocates giving BMX a try. “You don’t have to go to a race or do like an organized day. A lot of the tracks are open for open practice. It’s good just to like work on your timing or your power or roll around.”
She emphasizes that even simple drills can make a big difference: “Even peddling like mountain bikers, like a lot of them don’t pedal as efficiently as they could when they’re standing sprinting… there’s so many things there that are hidden little gems.”
The Olympic Journey
One of the most compelling parts of Jill’s story is her journey to the Olympics. Interestingly, becoming an Olympian wasn’t always her goal – simply because it wasn’t an option. “That wasn’t even a possibility for the sport when I was a kid. I kind of just took it as far as I could.”
When BMX was finally added to the Olympics, Jill had already moved on to mountain biking. It was her father’s encouragement that brought her back: “My dad was like, ‘you can do it, you can do it.’ And I was like, I don’t – because I’d moved out of that sport and was so happy with mountains. And it was kind of with his passing that I was like, I’m gonna dedicate myself to this and do it.”
Overcoming Challenges
The Olympic journey wasn’t without its challenges. Early in her Olympic training, Jill suffered a significant knee injury. “I stupidly blew my ACL… I’d been mountain biking so much and switched to BMX and I was at these dirt jumps… jumped so far past the landing that I stomped and twisted into the next lip on my knee and heard the pop.” Despite this setback, she persevered, eventually winning a bronze medal.
Giving Back Through Coaching
Today, Jill continues to give back to the sport through coaching, including working with the USA Cycling U23 cross-country program. “I like kind of enjoy giving back and breaking it down… Technical analysis is something I’m really interested in and good at for myself.”
She particularly enjoys working with motivated athletes: “It’s really cool getting to help the next generation, but it’s also great that they’re already like high performance and have dreams.”
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About The Host
Kristen Bonkoski is a USA cycling and NICA coach, bike educator, and founder of Femme Cyclist.
She’s also the host of the Femme Cyclist podcast and runs Rascal Rides, a website about biking with kids.
She’s been riding bikes for more than two decades and is passionate about empowering women on the bike.
IG: @femme_cyclist
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A podcast for women who love bicycles! We we celebrate all forms of riding and all forms of women, so whether you’re a road cyclist, mountain biker, or bike commuter, you’ll find your community here. Each week we’ll week bring you interviews from inspiring women, and offer tips and tricks to help you thrive on the bike.