Alise Rose WilloughbyOLY (née Post, born January 17, 1991) is an American professional "Current School" BMX racing racer who has been racing competitively since 2002. She uses the moniker "The Beast".[2]
Originally a state-champion gymnast, Willoughby began racing at the age of six, after watching her older brothers race.[3]
She turned professional in 2006, at the age of 15. Her first professional race result came in April, when she placed third at the American Bicycle Association Winter Nationals.[4] Her first professional win came just one month later, when she won the ABA Super Nationals.[5] She was voted 2006 Rookie Pro of the Year by the readers of BMXer magazine, becoming the first female to win the title.[6] She was also the youngest female to hold the National No.1 Pro Women's title, one of the youngest BMX racers to turn pro, one of the youngest to hold a pro title, and the first female to earn all three Girls division classifications.
In 2008, BMX Racing was added to the Olympics, but the 19 years age minimum meant Willoughby, age 17, was unable to compete.[2]
Willoughby would go on to make her Olympic Debut at the 2012 Summer Olympics, after recovering from surgery for LCL, knee and hamstring reconstruction.[7] She placed 12th after a crash in the semi-final.
In 2021, Willoughby suffered a crash at the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021) and did not qualify for the final.[8]
In December 2015 Sam Willoughby proposed to Alise. Sam had a training incident in 2016 that forced him to retire, after which he became Alise's coach. They were married in January 2019.[9]
Notes
^Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in italics. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles. Only sanctioning bodies active during the racer's career are listed. Series and one off Championships are also listed in block.
^Although Alise Post was a pro in the ABA at the time of the 2007 UCI World Championships, under UCI rules she was too young to qualify for Elite women status.
