There are athletes whose stories are defined by podiums. Then there are athletes whose stories continue long after the finish line.
Jess Cerra is one of the latter.
A former professional cyclist, Jess has built a life fueled by curiosity, purpose, and a love of adventure. Today she serves as Vice President of Product Development and Quality Systems at Alete Active Nutrition, where she helps bring innovative nutrition products to athletes around the world. But ask her what she's most passionate about and you'll likely hear about a mountain trail, a gravel road, or her rescue dog, Emory.
Her story is a reminder that success isn't measured by podiums alone. It's built through curiosity, relationships, and a willingness to keep evolving.
"I pretty much lived my life on a completely uncharted path."
Jess discovered cycling while in graduate school. That decision eventually led her to walk away from a PhD track and pursue professional racing in her late twenties. Since then, she's founded a private chef and catering company, helped launch an energy bar, retired from professional cycling, and found herself leading product innovation at Alete Active Nutrition.
Looking back, she credits one thing for connecting every chapter.
"Relationships. At each stage of my life, the relationships I have formed have carved opportunities, support, and future connections that have been invaluable. Something I like sharing is that if you're willing to work hard, there is always someone who will meet you there. I only hope that I have given as much to those relationships as I have received because, despite sounding a bit cheesy, they have changed the course of my life and I'm 100% happy with where I am."
Today, Jess calls Whitefish, Montana home, where adventure is woven into everyday life.
Ask her about a perfect day and she'll paint a picture that has nothing to do with results sheets or finish lines.
A huge mountain run with Emory. A long gravel ride with friends. A swim in Whitefish Lake. Dinner on the porch with her husband, Sam, while playing Wordle and Connections. During Grand Tour season, she'll happily end the evening watching the race with a bowl of Boom Chicka Pop kettle corn straight from the freezer.
After spending twelve years as a professional athlete, her definition of performance has changed.
"I still love pushing myself, and doing really hard things. But what I love more is not having the pressure to do it perfectly on a single day."
Instead of chasing results, she's chasing experiences.
One European adventure each year. New roads. New cultures. New perspectives.
That same curiosity shapes Jess's professional life.
As Vice President of Product Development and Quality Systems at Alete Active Nutrition, she spends her days solving problems that don't yet have answers.
One recent example was helping develop SaltStick Electrolyte Gummies, a patent pending innovation that took more than eighteen months to bring to life.
"The curiosity to find a solution was the undercurrent of my life for the next year and a half. I love innovation and finding novel product formats that our customers will trust and love to consume."
Outside of sport, Jess is equally passionate about animal rescue.
That passion began with Emory, the rescued doodle who entered the shelter frightened, malnourished, and in need of medical care.
Today, Emory is thriving, and Jess has become an advocate for shelter animals everywhere.
Every Monday morning you'll find her cleaning kennels at the local humane society. Several times each month she returns to help socialize dogs, giving them precious time outside their kennels.
She has also spent time learning about the larger challenges facing shelters across the country, from overcrowding to irresponsible breeding practices.
Her dream?
To someday open a rescue ranch in Montana.
"Before I dream big, I want to keep learning and exploring the most effective way to drive real change."
Ask Jess if there was one race that changed the course of her life, and she doesn't hesitate.
The answer is the 2013 Cascade Cycling Classic.
Fresh off surgery for iliac artery endofibrosis, she entered the race as part of the lowest ranked composite team in the field.
During the iconic climb over McKenzie Pass, she unexpectedly found herself riding alongside some of America's strongest climbers.
One problem quickly emerged.
Her team car couldn't reach the front group, leaving her without food or water.
She finished seventh that day after bonking and becoming dehydrated.
Most riders would have left discouraged.
Jess left inspired.
"That race showed me who I was supposed to be on a bike."
She finished sixth overall and never looked back.
When the conversation turns to resilience, Jess becomes more reflective.
She shares that many of the hardest challenges she's faced happened long before professional cycling.
"I've experienced an above average amount of trauma and hardship in my life, specifically through childhood and adolescence."
Sport became more than competition. It became a place to heal, grow, and become the healthiest and happiest version of herself.
"Resilience means looking back and knowing that YOU carved that space for yourself."
One confession still surprises people.
Jess never joined her high school's cross country team because she was too afraid.
It's something she still thinks about today, and one reason she's so passionate about encouraging women to step outside their comfort zones.
Her advice is beautifully simple.
"Your body and your actions will follow your mind. Most of our barriers come from our heads, but if we can utilize community and other tools to overcome those barriers, the physical part will follow. You have to trust yourself enough to put yourself on the start line. Once you make it there, you're going to soar."
When asked to finish the sentence, Adventure is...
Her answer came instantly.
Necessary.
When you're beyond the summit, after the finish line, the peak, or the podium, what keeps you moving forward?
Jess doesn't answer with another goal or another race.
She answers with one word.
Balance.
Whether she's launching an innovative nutrition product, riding mountain roads in Europe, volunteering at the humane society, or heading out for another adventure with Emory, she's learned that fulfillment doesn't come from standing on top of one mountain forever.
It comes from knowing when to seek the next challenge, when to slow down, and when to appreciate exactly where you are.
"Maybe always chasing a challenge isn't totally balanced, but it keeps me moving forward across the spectrum of life."
That's what lies beyond the summit.
