MEET hEAD cOACH Christian Williams

Over 40 years. That’s how long I’ve been pinning on a number in our sport. That in itself doesn’t necessarily make me a good coach or trainer, but it does mean that I’ve seen this sport as a junior, through college, as a young adult with a job, a young parent, a parent with a child who races, and into masters racing. This covers BMX, mountain biking, track, endurance racing, cross, triathlon and road racing.

I began racing at 12y old racing BMX, and then in my middle teens I was racing on the road and in triathlons. I competed in the elite ranks of triathlon in my late teen and early 20’s, and I was a factory rider in BMX in my early teens. I also competed for my high school in basketball, football, track, soccer, etc. I’ve competed in the Olympic trials on the track (velodrome) as well.

I took a break from riding and racing due to taking on a directing and coaching job with a pro team while still maintaining this WRA Coaching Family.  We also had a residence program…there just wasn’t any time left in the day.  Further, I was battling some health issues. All told…from lung disease, a broken neck in a bike accident, internal injuries from another, being hit by a car at 50mph, hip degeneration, and then a two year bout with long Covid as of ‘21…I’ve taken a beating. I also had a tumor removed from around my spine in 2016.  

Some of these ailments were sorted out with some aggressive strength training, which included going after (and succeeding) challenges of 10,000 kettlebell swings (53lbs kettlebell) in 8 days and doing 1,000,000 pounds of squats in four months.  At the end of 2017, I renewed my racing license, set my ego aside and requested a downgrade in category, and I raced. I don’t view racing categories as a lifetime achievement award, though I fully admit I’m enjoying the process of working my way up through the upgrade process again.

I’m now 54 years old in 2024, married, and I have three grown kids. My oldest (Noah) raced for a professional development team in Belgium, and he was a three-time US National Team athlete. I was a founding board member of the Texas Bicycle Racing Association, and I’ve promoted over 15 races from parking lot criteriums, road races, cyclocross races, as well as a downtown criterium. Simply put, this sport is our passion.

Noah is working with me full time in the coaching business. He’s USAC certified cycling coach, earning that at 18y old. Like me, he’s a Level 1 USAC coach and a Level 2 Trainingpeaks coach, both of which are the highest levels.  My youngest kids were state level throwers of the discus, and I worked out with them regularly. My daughter was also captain of the drill team for her school (champion discus thrower and drill team captain is an unusual combination!). For those who race who have kids, I understand.

My day job is as a full time cycling coach, and that’s what I’ve been doing since 1999.  Along the way, I also spent a few years working as a director for Slipstream Sports (Garmin-Sharp, which is now EF-Education First), directing and coaching the development team. For the last 13 years, we’ve also spent 2-5 months of the year in Belgium and Italy, helping riders develop to the elite level and otherwise get that racing and living experience that can only be had in the heartland of bicycle racing. Additionally, my wife, Shauna, owns and operates The Salty Mermaid Boutique in Crystal Beach, TX, where we live.

I’ve coached riders to over 100 National championship podiums (we stopped counting) and over 20 gold medals there. I’ve also coached riders to more than 100 State Championships. I’ve coached 18 riders to world championships teams, including a podium performance there.  I’ve had riders represent USA at the World Championships every year since 2007.

I’ve been head coach at camps in Mallorca, Italy, Belgium and in the US. I’ve been a coach and head coach for the USAC Regional Development Camp.  To show that we’re not a one trick coaching operation, I’ve coached riders to the podium and national championship and the national team in match sprinting, and I’ve also had riders complete RAAM and Paris-Brest-Paris.  Riders I’ve coached have set the national records in the hour on the track, and one might even have the current world record for juniors. In 2023, I coached the athlete to the current 30y+ Hour World Record. I’ve had riders on the national team for track, cyclocross, mountain biking and the road. I’ve directed Team USA at the Pan American games for road and track. I’ve worked with two juniors from their first road event all the way to the pro ranks, and I’ve coached more than 25 riders to the US National team.  At one USA National Talent Camp, I was working directly with 15 of the 28 athletes there.

My degrees are in Urban and Regional Planning as well as writing. My Masters work is in exercise physiology, and I frequently attend continuing education and coaching summits with UCI, USAC, and elsewhere. 

 Ultimately, over 22 years of full-time coaching in cycling (29+ years of coaching total), and with my teaching and planning background, and as a team director, I’ve learned that there isn’t one type of coach that works for all. I don’t have one way I coach, as I believe in doing what is best for the athlete.  However, if you need someone to yell at you to get you to do what you hired me to do, I’m not the coach for you. I’m a hugger.  I’ve also been understanding when the weather was atrocious, and then said, “go out anyway.”

 Lastly, I don’t refer to other coaches as “the competition”. There are far more racers than we could ever coach, anyway. I encourage you to talk to any reputable coaches who you think might match up with your wants and needs. Find the best and most comfortable match for you. I have a good working relationship with many coaches across the country. If I’m not the one for you, and we don’t have one who fits what you are looking for, I expect that we can find one who does match up well with what you are looking for in a coach.

 Sincerely,

 Christian Williams

USAC L1 Coach

TrainingPeaks L2 Coach