Kristin Armstrong
Boise, Idaho
Class of 1995 Exercise Science and Health
Olympic Gold Medal Cyclist
College of Education alumna and 2008 Olympic Gold Medal cyclist Kristin Armstrong is a Vandal through and through. Although she lives and works in Boise, she’s proud of her northern education and cheers for the Vandal silver and gold. Armstrong has always excelled as a student and an athlete, graduating with a degree in exercise science and health from the University of Idaho in 1995. While at the University of Idaho, Armstrong was on the university track team as well as an active participant in intramural sports. While Armstrong focused on running and triathlons early in her life, she transitioned to cycling after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 2001. Despite these obstacles, through determination and perseverance she continued to thrive. In fact, in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Armstrong became just the second American woman cyclist to claim an Olympic gold medal when she won the 14.6-mile time trial in just 34 minutes and 51 seconds.
The Legacy of Silver and Gold
“Since winning the Gold Medal, my life has become a whirlwind,” said Armstrong. “I sign autographs all the time. I had someone come up to me recently and ask me to sign my name and ‘Go Broncos.’ I said to him, ‘Do you realize what you’re asking me? I’m a Vandal!’”
Armstrong came to the University of Idaho because she wanted to become a physical therapist. Sport science and exercise physiology were good fits.
“One of my favorite classes at the U of I was anatomy and physiology and working on cadavers,” she said. “You can teach people about their bodies and show them where things are, then they can begin to understand how to be healthy, eat right and treat their bodies well. You just need 20 minutes a day to go out and walk or something. It doesn’t have to be a long period of time — just anything."
Not quite ready for physical therapy school, she moved to Boise, where she worked at the YMCA as aquatics director. It was when she finally started applying to schools in 1998 that the Olympic Committee contacted her and asked if she wanted to come to Colorado and train for the triathlon. “I had done well in some local, regional and national races,” she said.
“I was invited with two other women in the U.S. to train one year for the Olympics.”
But strange as it may seem, Armstrong felt guilty about training. She had always been taught that real life meant working a job. Training didn’t seem like work to her, even though she was getting paid. “It didn’t seem like the real world. It was a real mental adjustment,” she said.
Giving Back
“Now that I’ve grown up, traveled around the world and experienced life, I realize that I want to make a difference,” she said. “I think as a teacher, I could inspire so many young children.”
Armstrong would like to teach health and nutrition to young women in sixth through eighth grade.
“That’s where my heart is. These young women are just starting to make decisions on their own. I love to work with this age. Some girls are developing, some are not. Their clothes don’t 'fit.' It’s the most awkward and hardest age, but the most easily influenced.”
She is also concerned that people understand health and nutrition, and would like to help them make good decisions they can stick with their entire life.
“People won’t get hooked on being active unless they enjoy it. There are so many activities out there for everybody. Who cares if it’s walking, running, or playing softball — it doesn’t matter. People don’t all have the same interests. They need to make their own choices, especially at the junior high and high school level, so they’ll stay with it throughout life.”
As Armstrong considers and plans for her future, her past experiences, combined with her desire to help others, will be a guiding force. Whether teaching, coaching, speaking, competing, or being a mom, she’ll always be tied to her alma mater and be grateful for what she learned at the University of Idaho.
“No matter what I do, I’ll always be a Vandal,” she said.
