Guts, Glitter & Ghent = Christa

She goes by SkiBikeGlitter on the internet, and in our opinion that handle is not in preferential order. In fact, we suggest Christa Emily Ghent change her name to GlitterBikeSki. However when you say that fast it makes her sound Polish, and Polish, Christa is not (not that there is anything wrong with being Polish).

Christa Ghent is Coloradan through-and-through. Born and bred in the mountains, this girl can shred anything, skis, mountain bikes, cyclocross courses, hairy descents, sketchy corners, gravelly roads and paper (probably). And LA Sweat is excited to have her back in the saddle with us for 2017.

She also has the most amazing hair. 

However, you may not have even noticed her amazing hair because Christa is fast. Really fast. (Or maybe it's because she often wears it tied back in a bun or pony tail -- like Brenna the Braided Bandit and Mel -- do you see a theme here?) But really, Christa is so fast she will blaze by you and you'll be like, 'WHO WAS THAT?' 

So we will tell you. 

Christa is a fancy girl. Each morning she starts her day with perfectly steeped English Breakfast Tea and quiet contemplation and a book. She adorns her earlobes with blinged-out, post-back earrings that'll have Kate Spade herself wanting to grab hold of each lobe and yank. Her sunglasses look like something Audrey Hepburn would yearn for. Her nails are always the most understated, but perfect color, and always meticulously manicured.

But don't let any of this fool you. If you catch Christa on any Boulder infamous weekend group ride and you mess with her, expect this 5'2" powerhouse to land an elbow in your side. Basically: Do not steal her wheel unless you're going to hold the wheel.

Christa trains and races with a ferocity and determination of someone twice her size.  

She is that rare rider that shows a passion for hard work, no matter what it is. She takes conference calls from the back seat of the team car, talking big business lingo and tapping away on her laptop. If we had to guess, her favorite app would not be the Training Peaks app, it would be SLACK. What we are really trying to say is.... Christa is dialed.

This past year was Christa's first year returning to consistent national level racing and once she got the hang of it, she was on the up - which you can see as she begins her domination of the cyclocross season. She rode her way to 6th place at the legendary and big money Downer's Ave Criterium at the Tour of America's Dairyland, and tore it up at the last race of the season, Gateway Cup.

On par with her results is her choice of music. You can count on Christa to know all 40 of the Top 40 - however don't you dare play "Shake It Off" before a race. Sorry, T-Swift.

She also loves Australian Licorice. We thought this was weird, but then we tried it, and that tart, tangy and sweet combination sums up Christa perfectly.