Sofía Gómez Villafañe facts for kids
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| Born | 15 April 1994 Esquel, Argentina |
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| Current team | Specialized Off-Road | ||
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| Role | Rider | ||
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Sofía Gómez Villafane was born on April 15, 1994. She is a talented athlete from Argentina. Sofía is known for her skills in two types of cycling: mountain biking and cyclo-cross.
Mountain biking involves riding bikes over rough, natural terrain. Cyclo-cross is a mix of road cycling and mountain biking, often on short courses with obstacles. Sofía even represented Argentina at the 2020 Summer Olympics, competing in women's cross-country mountain biking.
Contents
Sofía's Cycling Journey
Early Life and Discovering Cycling
Sofía grew up in Esquel, a town in Patagonia, Argentina. When she was twelve, her family moved to Los Gatos, California, in the United States. She is the fifth of six children in her family.
Sofía found her passion for mountain biking through a school program called NorCal High School Mountain Bike Program. Her brother helped her get her first mountain bike. He found it for her on Craigslist for $500.
College and Professional Racing
After high school, Sofía continued her cycling journey in college. She competed for Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. There, she earned a degree in exercise science. She also studied business administration.
Sofía mainly races in North America. She became the Argentine national cross-country champion in 2019. This was a big achievement for her.
Major Wins and Achievements
Sofía has achieved many impressive wins in her career. In 2019, she won the Epic Rides series. She even beat World Cup champion Kate Courtney in the final race.
At the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, Sofía won a silver medal. This was for the cross-country race.
In 2021, Sofía made history for Argentina. She became the first female mountain biker from her country to compete in the Olympics since 2004. She qualified for the cross-country event at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
A big win came in 2022. Sofía teamed up with Haley Batten for the Cape Epic mountain bike stage race in South Africa. They raced together as a duo team and won the event!
Personal Life
Sofía met her boyfriend, Keegan Swenson, through mountain biking in 2012. They both love the sport. They often train together and travel to competitions around the world.
Sofía lives in Heber City, Utah, in the United States. She holds dual nationality, meaning she is a citizen of both America and Argentina.
See also
In Spanish: Sofía Gómez Villafañe para niños
