How Paralympian Samantha Bosco Fuels to Power Her Rides

Samantha Bosco, who specializes in the individual pursuit, time trial, and road race events and earned two bronze medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, knows how important it is to strike a balance between foods that fuel performance and make her happy. This balance has helped her become a faster and stronger cyclist.

“I have struggled with food in the past,” Bosco told Bicycling. “I worked with a dietitian for the national team, and actually, my husband Andrew is a cyclist, too, and was super helpful in explaining that fuel for rides helps make you stronger. It was a lot of work changing the mental aspect of it. But then, I started eating more and had more energy and would have better rides.”

This outlook has helped the 33-year-old road and track cyclist continue to shine in her pro career—she was named to the 2020 Team USA national cycling squad and hopes to compete at the now postponed 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

“I have a newfound love for Zwift—I do group rides on there because right now, I pretty much train with myself or with my husband or occasionally with a small group of friends who have also been pretty secluded and following COVID protocols,” Bosco said. “But usually now, I just train on the road by myself. It’s hard not having any races on the horizon until maybe February, so right now, it’s about keeping some fitness and some motivation to keep training. Knowing that your season is so up in the air, you have to keep a certain level of fitness, but not too much.”

To fuel these training rides, she makes a mean breakfast sandwich, then usually stops for a pastry and coffee mid-ride as well. Here’s how the California-based rider eats to power her long rides in the mountains when she can’t train on the track.

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