Jacquie has always loved competition. As a child, she played soccer, volleyball and did swimming and cross-country. Even outside of sports, she competed in academic competitions like debate, Math Counts and even won her first international championship in Future Problem Solving. Whether it was athletics or academics, she enjoyed the team dynamics and the constant drive to nor only become your own personal best, but the ability to help her friends do the same. (Also team cookie baking.)
In college, she swam for Northwestern University where she competed in the individual medleys and middle-distance free while completing a dual degree in Integrated Science and Chemistry. It wasn’t until she graduated in 2012 when she discovered that biking could be more than just a form of transportation. One of her classmates dared her to do the Chicago Triathlon as a “last hurrah” before she started medical school. She borrowed a mountain bike, won the Athena division and fell in love with a new form of competition: triathlon.
Alongside her fiancé (and fellow MD/PhD student, triathlete and nerd) John Cooper, Jacquie quickly progressed in the sport as she continued her education. With the help of her coach, Chris Navin, she won the 2017 ITU age group World Championship title before transitioning to professional triathlon. Her most notable results include 4th Place in the 2018 NYC Lifetime Tri, 4th Place in Cozumel Ironman 70.3 and three consecutive titles in her hometown race the Chicago Triathlon.
Jacquie hit a bump in the road in early 2020 when her triathlon club shut down. Annoyed, but undeterred, she bought a trainer, hopped on Zwift and tried to stay in shape despite the rigors of medical school. Despite the lack of outdoor racing opportunities, she fueled her competitive drive with virtual races. Her most notable results include earning the polka dot climbing jersey in the virtual Joe Martin Stage Race, 1st place in the 2020 USA Cycling eSports Trials and 5th place in the 2020 UCI eSports World Championships. She is also currently the points leader in the Echelon Racing League Pro Race Series. When recruited by Team USA teammate Christie Tracy to join Saris TPC, Jacquie was thrilled for the opportunity to keep racing, improving and making friends with other talented athletes!
Jacquie’s day job is being an MD/PhD student at Northwestern University. An MD/PhD program is an entirely different type of endurance event in which students complete both medical school and a PhD. After 8 ½ years of training, she is almost at the finish line and looks forward to graduating in 2021 and pursuing a career in radiology research. She also looks forward to applying her medical and scientific insight to her athletic career to see how far she can go. As a scientist with a penchant for analyzing data, Jacquie is constantly testing her limits brainstorming new ways to improve.
Interesting facts about Jacquie:
Her youngest sister is a pro volleyball player!
Her 3 bikes are named “Sexy”, “Junior” and “Hel”
She keeps a “Wall of Awesome” where she commemorates the adventures in her life with race bibs, postcards and other fun memories.
To keep herself busy during long trainer rides, she likes to binge-watch TV. Her most recent series are “She-Ra”, “The Mandalorian” and “The Legend of Korra”
“Back of the Card” Rider Stats
She is 176 cm tall and 70 kg (plus however much breakfast weighs)
To recover after long Saturday rides, she plays D&D
Her pre-race meal is spaghetti with ground turkey and mushroom