Name: Kate “KJ” Phillips
Hometown: Washington, DC
How did you get into cycling? I’ve been on a bike for as long as I can remember… As kids, my friends and I rode all over town, we were feral kids; no cell phones, no trackers…we just roamed, and nobody got in trouble or hurt bad enough not to ride home…Scrapes/bruises/cuts were not an issue for us. In my teens, I worked for myself as a court/legal messenger, doing all of the work via my bike until I got a car. Raced BMX as a kiddo (when I mowed lawns to cover the race entry fees), I did MTB stuff (non-racing) and Sprint/Olympic Triathlons in my 30’s, and now I’m racing on Zwift, Road/Gravel, and CX in my 50s.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I am in my 3rd year. Started in D’s (was 10 mins off the back), currently in C’s, and maybe I will hit B’s next season
Are you part of a Virtual team? Yes, I race for The Coalition.
What do you love most about racing? I love being invited to compete with other women and making friends with those I race with and against.
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? Points races suit me… I am a sprinter, so I get to ‘do my thing’ in those races.
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? I have only done ZRL, but I am open to trying others in the coming year. I think I have held myself back from trying new series from a lack of confidence (something we all struggle with). Until the end of ZRL ’22/’23, that had been a real challenge for me.
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? I remember the last race of ZRL last year, going up the Breakaway Brae I was in about 20th. At that turn to the left, I went all out and dug deep within myself to catch the front. (At this time, I was a D racer by ZPower but I raced all season in C’s because I wanted to learn and challenge myself.) Well, I caught up to the leaders and only missed taking the top of the podium by hundredths of a second! I was super proud of that effort, and in the end, I finally got promoted to C, LOL! It was a big deal for me because I used to be the “big girl” in the back of the race, working the hardest just to finish… and now I was charging up the hill with the leaders. It was a turning point for my racing, both indoors and out! I had a great road/gravel season in ’23.
What is your favourite food to eat post race? CARBS!!! Pizza, tacos, cookies, cake, and all the other things on the ‘naughty’ list!
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? My advice is try a race, forget worrying about ‘what ifs’ or negative self-talk, and once you enter it, finish it. The performances of others don’t matter; YOURS does. Don’t compare yourself to others, meet cycling where YOU are at… and above all, have fun with it. At the end of it all, CHEER for those who do well (send nice notes in the Companion App, or write a race report on Strava that includes others, your competitors, in it), and cheer for those in the back, too… they are the folks who worked hardest and longest in the race. There are victories to be had everywhere through the effort, on the front, in the middle, and in the back…embrace that, and you will have a winning spirit that transcends your placement in the race.
Thanks, Beccah. And thank you, Karla, for including me.
Every woman in our community is fantastic, treasured, and worthy of recognition for their contributions to the community no matter how great or small. Women’s racing advances on inclusion and calls for exclusion are bound to happen where folks buy into rhetoric, but this rhetoric actually hurts women’s cycling…it perpetuates patriarchy and misogyny. I have been competing in sports for longer than many other women, 20 years within the IOC guidelines (yeah, I was the 1st US trans athlete under the 2004 IOC rules when I played rugby; I am way proud of that), and sadly the uptick in pushback came when gay marriage was no longer the issue de jour. There is a faction out there that just can’t stand seeing change. Now the focus is on trans/non-gender conformity, which has hit the list of hyped controversy and hate, and the followers of this thought won’t or don’t want to take the time to see that there isn’t a problem…that MORE women (WTFNB included) are better for all sports.
We push each other to be more capable on and off the course, encourage each other to try our very best on and off the course, and cherish the friendships we develop on and off the course. All women are the same: We achieve when working together. Those who won’t or can’t work or wish to exclude others have introspection and work to do. They believe that women should tear at each other rather than lift each other. Eliminating trans/non-conformity from sports or society likely won’t solve their problems, and I hope someday they can find peace and joy.
I am unaffected by dissent. I love, I share joy, I am me, and I have been my authentic self for decades. When USA Rugby told me about the IOC decision in 2004, I raised my hand to be included. I experience nothing but joy when I play, ride, and race on Zwift and IRL…I try to spread that to all the women around me at all times…I don’t do sports for victory, I do it because like many other women, I am an athlete to my core. Unlike some, I am not there to WIN, I am there to do my best with the competitors and teammates I have around me trying to do the same…we are in it for the experience. I rejoice in their wins, and a lot of joy is reflected back to me when I have a good day. This weekend, I was invited to be a ride leader in an all-women’s cycling weekend…it was pure joy to ride and, when asked, to lend my wisdom and experience to the group. I was filled up with joy all weekend and returned the happiness I felt to every woman I rode with at Cat Camp 2024.
Your grace under this current scrutiny is inspiring. Stay strong.
The irony of your ridiculous comment is completely lost on you, isn’t it …. Dude? Some people have no shame. You are clearly one of those people.
You’re a man and should be embarrassed and ashamed of your actions.
You’re selfish.
Do you have tackle?
Thanks, Rhys. I am a proud member of your team and appreciate the space we have created as a team with room for EVERYONE. Being one of the diversity advisors and one of our women’s reps in the club has not only let me contribute and add value as a teammate, it has taught me how to manage, listen, and lead better in a global environment.
Moreover, being invited to the team was the catalyst for me covering my health, and for that I am forever appreciative.
I think data doping, allowing any riders to compete in lower cats is probably a bigger problem. As for human rights. It’s a game. Reality check. As Trans Women we have rights to not have to put up with narrow minded bigotry.
If you’re worried about losing to Trans Women, then maybe try putting in the same amount of work as KJ obviously puts in to get to where she has.
Didn’t the article say she has only been riding 3 years. I see this article was in 2024, and now she is already a Masters USA Champion in 2025? I’m sorry, someone needs to say something…this is unfair to women.
“…narrow minded bigotry.” No sir, millennia of biological evolution says otherwise. The tragedy is the minority of influences that vapidly create images that a man can become a woman. Shame.
He has… not she has..
no you don’t have the Right to cheat. It biology and it’s unfair. go see a therapist. no different than an anorexic despite what your therapist says.
…EVERYONE…
If I have ever told you about that friend I have from Rugby, who was doing some “Zwift-thing” online during the pandemic and led me back to the bike…THIS IS HER! 😍
Misha is an amazing athlete and woman of distinction. If you ever want to ride the PBP (Paris-Brest-Paris; the legendary 1200km Rando ride), Misha can tell you all about it….she has done it twice!!!
We are all climbing mountains…and it is superfun to do it together! Mish, I still owe you a Rando-ride…someday in 2024, I hope.
He’s not a woman and you must be an idiot 😉
😂😂😂😂😂
no they don’t ??? Trans Women have a Penis…
Now that KJ is the US Masters National Champion, does this argument still hold water. Is it still a “game” now that KJ raced against the best women in the US at her age in the real world?
Yes, with other trans. Not women!!@
Ok…………………a moment has passed and Human Biology didn’t change…..whaaaaaat???
It appears a few commenters are posting biological facts, not uncivil opinions.
And it appears you didn’t read the comments that I hid in this thread a year ago when it first published…
This is absurd. You can think you are a woman, but you are not if you have the DNA of a male. You are male! See how easy that is. I would not be considered a cat if I thought I was a cat. My DNA shows I am a human. People have such screwed up minds and thoughts. We’re always told to follow the science. FOLLOW THE SCIENCE.
Bull crap
identity doesn’t matter..otherwise I would compete against 4 year olds. get over yourself. Cheating is cheating. fear and phobia is not involved. the cheaters always hate being caught. It’s the nature of the act. so they divert by saying, ‘it’s fear, hate’ when really, it’s only fairness. and the Matriarchy is your biggest enemy. please get help for your mental condition.
women, and those with a iq above 100, recognize a cheater when they see it. science doesn’t lie and it doesn’t have to use ‘big words’ to lie. the oppression is the cheater and everyone knows it.
very easy test. women don’t look like this.