“Except for the very first GFNY New York I have participated in every single (GFNY NYC) race. Early on joining the Sunday GFNY training rides exposed me to group riding and sooner than later it turned this bike rider into a bike racer (master amateur, but it counts :-)). The knowledge I gained joining the training rides and the friendships I formed are so special and it will make me forever think fondly of GFNY. Thank you for starting this series.”

From Runner to Champion – Beatrix Ueberheide, A Cycling Journey Started with GFNY

Beatrix Ueberheide had come to the US from Germany as a graduate student, and stayed to grow her career. Always an athlete, a knee injury put Beatrix’ running program on hold, and, as with many runners, she found the bike. 

Now a New Yorker, Beatrix did not have a car, and so the bike offered transportation, fitness, and exposure to nature. As she recovered from her knee surgery, rather than start training for a marathon or other running event, she signed up for GFNY. 

The Sunday New York training rides were special. Starting as almost every rider does, barely holding on to the group and finishing the rides on her own, she grew into an accomplished cyclist, found new friends, and came to love the community that made GFNY special. “I really have made such good real friends all thanks to these group rides. I still ride with the same people year round.” The Sunday rides helped Beatrix learn how to ride in groups, and the support given by the ride leaders are what she credits with turning her from a rider into a racer. 

Having developed a passion for cycling, and for racing, Beatrix can often be found racing in Central Park, and was the 2024 Masters Age Group National Champion in Road Racing, as well as a top ten finisher in the overall female category at the GFNY NYC Championship in 2025. 

Beatrix is a fixture at every GFNY NYC World Championship, and always in the mix of top contenders finishing multiple times on the podium in her age group.