Cécile Lejeune on her steep gravel learning curve and medically retiring from sports in college

The Adventure Stache

Payson McElveen

Outdoors, Interviews, Society & Culture, Current Events, Culture, Photography, Adventure, Mountain Biking, Celebrities, Inspirational, Basketball, Health & Fitness, Entrepreneur, Cycling, Athletes, Sports

4.9 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2025

⏱️ 108 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Cécile Lejeune started racing triathlons in her native France at 12 years old and quickly began picking up national titles. After gaining the attention of international recruiters, she moved to the US to race track in college. Soon, however, a chronic series of stress fractures took her out of competition and forced her into early retirement. Now, after just one year racing gravel, she’s become a top contender in the Grand Prix, even nabbing fifth at her first Unbound earlier this year. ...

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Pace McElvin and this is the WithPace podcast.
0:11.8	The doctors told me I wouldn't be able to run ever again in my life.
0:15.5	It was devastated because up to that point I thought, oh, this is going to be my life.
0:20.4	I'm going to be a professional athlete.
0:22.4	It was part of my identity, especially when you train as a triathlete.
0:25.9	You're trained two to three times a day.
0:27.9	And you're training with a group.
0:29.5	It's your whole life.
0:30.5	It's your whole identity.
0:32.4	And they put these papers in front of me and said, this is for you to medically retire.
0:40.8	Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the podcast that I'm really excited for
0:45.9	you to hear. This was one of those conversations that just reminded me of why podcasting in
0:51.6	person is what it's all about. Despite having her drop by for one of the Oregon Trail recaps last month,
0:58.9	I didn't feel like I knew Cecile very well going into this one,
1:02.8	but I'm so thankful for her openness and willingness to just flow.
1:08.3	We covered everything from her French roots
1:10.8	and what it's been like to integrate into
1:12.9	American culture, navigating the sometimes hilarious, sometimes dark world of NCAA sports,
1:21.3	her journey with chronic injury and eating disorder, relative energy deficiency in sport or red S.
1:29.9	Her love of the Tour de France, her stint racing at the highest level of women's road cycling in Europe,
1:35.2	her predictions for the future of professional gravel racing, I could go on.
1:40.1	There's a lot here, tons here.
	...

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