Be Good: How Rebecca Rusch Turns Pain Into Purpose

I’ve met a lot of incredible women in my life. Sometimes, I consider it one of the luckiest parts about my journey: crossing paths with women of substance, grit, and purpose. Because of that, I’m rarely surprised when I’m impressed by a woman. I almost expect it.

But Rebecca Rusch absolutely blew me away.

She is a decorated endurance athlete, an adventure racer, a seven-time world champion, Emmy-award winner, and a mountain biking Hall of Famer. She has ridden the Ho Chi Minh Trail in search of the place where her father, an Air Force pilot, lost his life during the Vietnam War. She is the founder of the Be Good Foundation, using her platform to clear unexploded ordnance from war-torn areas and to get more people on bikes. She’s also an author, a speaker, and an advocate for mental and physical resilience.

Yet beyond all her accolades, what struck me most is that she is simply a person who cares deeply. About movement, about community, about making the world a little better than she found it.

I feel so privileged to have had this conversation, and I’m thrilled to share our interview with you.

Faye: Rebecca, you've had your fair share of groundbreaking firsts. What personal or professional first are you most proud of, and how did it shape your approach to resilience?

Rebecca Rusch: There have been a lot of firsts. Being a woman in spaces where there weren’t many women and staying in those spaces long-term has been a big one. I’m 56 and still in the sports and athletic world, both as an athlete and in the business side of sports. I see more women coming into mountain biking, cycling, and rock climbing now, which is incredible.

It was hard to be one of the first, but I’m proud of staying in it because now it provides a vision for other women and girls—to use their bodies, to get outside, and even to be in the business of sports.

But there’s still a gap in leadership roles within the sports industry, and that’s the next layer I’m working on. There’s more participation but not enough representation at the decision-making level.

Faye: That resonates so much. Even on a smaller scale, I was at the YMCA recently and saw a women’s basketball league. I’m tall, but I never played. I thought, maybe I could join. And then I caught myself thinking, you’re in your forties, what are you doing? But why not? The visibility of women in these spaces matters.

Rebecca Rusch: Absolutely. And beyond visibility, longevity in sports is important too. We encourage young people to be active, but we don’t talk enough about staying physically engaged for life. People think being an athlete is for the young, but movement is just as crucial in midlife and beyond.

Faye: I imagine you’ve had to push past a lot of discomfort to stay in these spaces. What advice would you give to someone at the edge of a breakthrough moment, struggling with discomfort?

Rebecca Rusch: Sports are a great training ground for life. We choose to run a marathon or do something physically challenging, but life will throw real challenges our way—illness, loss, hardships. Learning how to navigate chosen discomfort prepares us for the unexpected.

There’s a difference between pain and discomfort. Pain is falling and breaking something. Discomfort is struggling up a hill, doubting if you can do it. When you push through discomfort, you gain confidence. It’s not just physical—there’s an internal shift. You stand taller, feel stronger, and realize you’re capable of more than you thought.

And you can apply this to anything in life. Sitting on the couch watching a movie is great, and you need relaxation. But hiking up a hill gives you something different. Growth comes from discomfort.

Faye: Where did this philosophy come from? Who shaped the way you see life?

Rebecca Rusch: My mom. My sister and I grew up in a single-parent household. My dad died in the Vietnam War when we were little, three and six years old. My mom had to go to work, went to computer school, and worked her way up in the industry. She modeled hard work and perseverance.

She never imposed gender expectations on us. We shoveled snow, mowed the lawn—we did it all. That shaped me. My sister went into the military, became a two-star general in the Air Force, one of the highest-ranking women ever. And I went into sports. We learned from watching our mom do what needed to be done.

Faye: You mentioned riding the Ho Chi Minh Trail. How did that experience change you?

Rebecca Rusch: It was a 1,200-mile journey across Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to find the place where my father died. I started the ride with my usual push-hard mindset, but the journey forced me to slow down.

I was riding with a Vietnamese woman whose father had fought on the other side. She was slower than I was, and we were filming, so I had to move at a different pace. If I had rushed through, I would have missed so much. That ride fundamentally changed me. It also led me to start the Be Good Foundation.

My dad signed all his letters home with Be good. After that ride, I realized my adventures weren’t just about me. I learned about the unexploded ordnance still in Laos—bombs from the war that are still killing people. My dad was part of that history, and I felt like he was handing me a responsibility.

We now work to clear those bombs and turn the metal into jewelry engraved with Be Good. It transforms something destructive into something meaningful.

Faye: You’ve also been open about your concussion journey. Where does that fit into your story?

Rebecca Rusch: I had a serious concussion three years ago, and it halted everything—my sport, my work, even my identity. I didn’t get good medical care, which prolonged my symptoms. It forced me to rethink everything.

Through that, I’ve become an advocate for concussion care. I started a podcast series to share my journey and partnered with another athlete who’s a physical therapist. Together, we’re creating concussion lounges where athletes can get guidance.

Concussions are common, but so many people don’t get the right care. An estimated 30% of the U.S. population will experience a concussion at some point. I want to help change that.

Faye: What originally sparked your love of movement?

Rebecca Rusch: As a kid, I loved being outside—camping, running around, exploring. My mom took us to national parks because we couldn’t afford big trips, and that shaped me. Movement was always about adventure first.

Faye: Is there a book you return to for inspiration?

Rebecca Rusch: My mom gave me Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss when I was heading to college. It’s a reminder that life is an adventure. Another one is Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. That book has been really important in my life. It’s about being a warrior, but in a way that allows for softness and flow, not just brute force.

Faye: If you could look ten years ahead, what impact would you want to have?

Rebecca Rusch: I want to see more people embracing their inner explorer, moving their bodies, and finding joy in the outdoors, no matter their age.

Faye: I love that. Thank you so much, Rebecca.

Rebecca Rusch: Thank you!