Jennifer Valente is a 25-year-old professional cyclist specializing in the track discipline. She grew up in San Diego, California riding mountain and BMX bikes around her neighborhood with her brothers. Her father raced bikes in the 1980s and Jennifer grew up listening to race stories while being active and competitive with her brothers. From a young age she played many sports including recreational soccer, baseball, and swim team. Encouraged by her father’s love of riding bicycles, when she was 14 she attended youth classes at the San Diego Velodrome. She was drawn in by the uniquely contained environment in which she could push herself. Entering high school Jennifer played varsity water polo for Cathedral Catholic High School and rode the NICA mountain bike series in the off season, in addition to spending a few days a week at the velodrome. 

In 2011 Jennifer’s motivation to pursue track cycling competitively was officially sparked. She won a Junior World Championships title in the Scratch Race and was nominated to the 2012 Olympic Long Team at just 16-years-old. To continue her cycling development, at 18-years-old, Jennifer moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in pursuit of making the next Olympic Team. In 2016 her efforts paid off when she, with her USA Cycling teammates, became both Olympic Silver Medalists and World Champions in the same year. 

After the Rio Olympics Jennifer reevaluated where and how cycling fit into her life. She committed more time to her studies at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and shifted her motivators for training and competition. Riding more events with more diversity, Jennifer is currently training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.