This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. In 2009, Amy jumped into a minivan to chronicle an unheralded, two week long ultra-cycling race called the Race Across America from start to finish. She spent time with a handful of contestants before and after, and ended up with a story that changed her own beliefs about personal limitations and the power of the human spirit. She turned this story into her book, Hell on Two Wheels.

As a direct result of writing the book and embedding herself in the ultra-distance racing culture, Amy matriculated as a competitive endurance cyclist herself, racing in events spanning several days and up to 500 miles in length.

Amy Snyder is a retired management consultant, author, speaker, and late-blooming competitive endurance cyclist. Her award winning book, Hell on Two Wheels, chronicled a 3,000-mile nonstop cycling race, and was the first narrative nonfiction account of a multi-day race of this length and duration. Since publishing her book, Amy has spoken widely about the race, how it affected her, and the obscure world of ultra-distance cycling.

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