When Jason and I started dating, my little brothers would tease me asking why I was dating a guy who felt ALL too comfortable in tight spandex biking shorts. I think they hoped this would be a short fling considering that spandex weren't exactly "cool" to two young teenage boys. Fast forward eight years and now they don't think twice about the spandex and have accepted this simply as a "personality trait" of their brother-in-law who they look up to and respect lots. I learned early on that Jason is unapologetically himself -- spandex and all!

Jason grew up in the Harvard Yale area of Salt Lake City. He is one of five children and has a special bond with each of his siblings. Having to keep up with an older brother (some of you may know him!) who was big, fast and athletic, he was pushed in ways he probably wouldn't have been pushed otherwise. He was small but mighty. The size of the fight in this small dog was huge! This ended up paying off as he excelled athletically at East High and beyond -- he was a varsity soccer captain two years in a row, football captain and played quarterback his senior year leading the team to the state finals. He truly could have played any sport and done well. Jason is a natural leader. There is a humble confidence in which Jason carries himself and it shows in how he interacts with people. He makes others feel important and comfortable, striking up conversations easily while genuinely interested in their lives. He leads quietly, without wanting the spotlight. Jason loves reading, snow skiing, water skiing, trail running and is a big adrenaline junkie at heart. He feels more comfortable doing some kind of complex flip off of any 60+ foot cliff rather than just jumping and used to spend hours in the terrain park perfecting crazy ski tricks. All these things come naturally to him.

Jason went on to graduate in Finance from the University of Utah and now works for a local Venture Capital firm, Epic Ventures. His passion for cycling began in his early college years. I think he would say the three things that helped him develop a deep love for the sport were: his LDS mission to the Netherlands (where there are more bikes than cars), "Creighton's Riders" and his brother Jake who introduced him to the Mi Duole crew. Combining the simple joy that being in the saddle brings with the pure physical grit, mental toughness, early mornings, dedication, challenging climbs, sunrise rides, and friendship that come with it, he really has fallen in love. Not just with the sport of cycling, but with Mi Duole and the people who make up Mi Duole. Jason has competed in countless races including Lotoja, Saints to Sinners, The Tour of St. George, Crusher in the Tushar, The Wasatch All-Road, and "his version" of The Ultimate Challenge. He loves competing, but he loves people and his relationships with those people even more.

Of all the things that come naturally to Jason, his role of "father" has come the most natural. He was born to be the "girl dad" he is to our one-year-old, Louisa. Recently, his morning bike rides have started earlier with some fewer and farther between since stepping into this role. Yet somehow he still hits personal records and pushes himself to become his best self -- both on and off the bike. Jason is constant, resilient, happy, fun, passionate, loyal, kind, strong, genuine and just plain old GOOD. If you know him, you love him! His girls feel so lucky to be on this ride of life alongside him.

”Work In Silence, Success Is The Noise” with Jason Cook