Motivational Speaker Leah Goldstein shared her life story working as a secret service agent who went on to become a Pro-Cyclist at the 9th Annual Women’s Conference at the Vermilion Regional Center on May 4.
Goldstein lifted the energy in the hall and inspired women with words of wisdom as well as teaching a few self-defense moves.
Leah Goldstein signs copies of her book ‘No Limits’ at the 2017 Women’s Conference at the Vermilion Regional Center.
Photo Marie Conboy
Goldstein suffered a horrific cycling accident during the 2005 Cascade Classic in central Oregon when she was clipped by another rider on a 70km/hr descent and landed face first on the asphalt, with several other cyclists falling on top of her. Her injuries included a broken pelvis, cheek, ankle, right arm, several broken ribs and a dislocated and broken shoulder, the loss of 5 teeth and near loss of the tip of her left thumb and her top lip, as well as severe road rash over most of her body. She spent two weeks receiving multiple surgeries in a hospital in the USA before she could be moved back home to Vancouver, where she was again admitted to hospital for further observation.
Doctors said it was a miracle Goldstein had survived the impact and that she would never ride again. But Goldstein says she was determined to prove the physicians, sports psychologists and those in the cycling community wrong and she began to train the second she was released from the hospital.
Goldstein went on race for the next 10 years, taking part in many races. While racing from one side of the USA to the other she shaved her head when her neck muscles failed so that she could tape her head to her back to hold her head up so she would finish instead of quitting.
During the 2009 Furnace Creek 508 in California, Leah was the only woman to finish under the worst conditions in the event's history. Battling headwinds gusting up to 60mph during an arduous overnight traverse of Death Valley, she crossed the finish line in 6th place overall, despite conditions in the desert with 1k left, Goldstein said she dug deep when she remembered the laughter of people laughing at me and saying she couldn’t do it.
“Never under estimate yourself, everybody is beatable! Never let your fears dictate your path or kill your passion!
I had the best years of my life as a professional racer at the ages of 39, 40 and 41, than I had 11 years earlier after my serious accident. Face your fear.
Don’t sit there and wait for things to come to you! Don’t stop living when you are still alive! Age is just a stupid number; it doesn’t have meaning unless you make it mean something!
I watched my grandmother dying of cancer saying, you never sit on your death bed saying I wish or what if and she so badly did not want to die…
If you have the ability to get back up every time you get knocked down – if you can get back up and keep moving forward your possibilities are truly endless! Show the world who you are!” Goldstein urged the women in attendance.
Her business ‘No Finish Line Living’ is a metaphor for living a life with no finish line. The premise is to continue to work hard on yourself, on your life and to always strive to get better. “Reach your goals and constantly set new ones; to keep moving forward is what life is all about!” said Goldstein.