107. From Overwhelmed to Empowered: Kate Richardson’s Fuelling Journey
In this episode, I’m joined by GB track and road rider Kate Richardson, who shares how learning to fuel properly has transformed her performance and her enjoyment of racing. Kate recently won the National Elite Women’s Crit Race in the UK, just months after we started working together, and her progress has been nothing short of inspiring.
Kate opens up about the confusion she felt around nutrition before seeking support—being overwhelmed by conflicting advice online and within the sport, unsure how to balance performance goals with health, and wrestling with the taboo that still exists around food and body composition in cycling. Together, we discuss how small but strategic changes have helped her train harder, recover faster, and race with more confidence.
From simple swaps like choosing Rice Krispies over oats before a stage race, to understanding how carb-loading really works, Kate explains how she’s learned to fuel smarter, not harder. We dive into her “lightbulb moments” around on-bike fuelling, the importance of planning ahead, and why food is never “good” or “bad”—it’s always context specific.
Kate also reflects on how her choices have had a ripple effect within her team, inspiring younger riders to fuel more and perform better. Her story is a brilliant reminder that eating enough is not just about surviving training—it’s about thriving in sport and life.
Key themes:
- Fuelling for track and road cycling
- The taboo of weight and power-to-weight conversations in sport
- Simple nutrition swaps that improve performance
- Carb-loading strategies that actually work
- The psychology of fuelling and food confidence
How positive change in one athlete influences a whole team
BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST
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⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join
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