February 14th, 2026 | by Lea Davison
Lea Davison is a professional cyclist from Vermont and 2x Olympian. She is a role model to many young girls, women and LGBTQ+ folks, and has had an amazing positive impact on cycling.
While she raced bikes professionally, she felt she had to hide the fact that she was gay, for fear of sponsorships getting revoked. Until, one of her sponsors celebrated her in a way she hadn’t been celebrated publicly before and that changed everything for the better.
Today’s Valentine’s Day Quench’d story is a celebration of Lea, her love and her inspiring impact on others. Lea shares how the gift of being able to be openly, publicly and wholly yourself is the best gift of all.
P.S. We recently held a film screening for Lea's new film: It Will Be Different For You that goes into Lea's story in depth. We were all so moved by this film and are excited to share Lea's story.
Lea Davison is a professional cyclist from Vermont and 2x Olympian. She is a role model to many young girls, women and LGBTQ+ folks, and has had an amazing positive impact on cycling.
While she raced bikes professionally, she felt she had to hide the fact that she was gay, for fear of sponsorships getting revoked. Until, one of her sponsors celebrated her in a way she hadn’t been celebrated publicly before and that changed everything for the better.
Today’s Valentine’s Day Quench’d story is a celebration of Lea, her love and her inspiring impact on others. Lea shares how the gift of being able to be openly, publicly and wholly yourself is the best gift of all.
P.S. We recently held a film screening for Lea's new film: It Will Be Different For You that goes into Lea's story in depth. We were all so moved by this film and are excited to share Lea's story.
I didn’t think it was possible to be a professional cyclist, to be an Olympian, and to be gay. I didn’t think all of these things could happen at once. Since the only queer person I knew in the cycling world was very closeted, I was getting the wrong messages. One action changed all of this.
I didn’t think it was possible to be a professional cyclist, to be an Olympian, and to be gay. I didn’t think all of these things could happen at once. Since the only queer person I knew in the cycling world was very closeted, I was getting the wrong messages. One action changed all of this.
I dreamt of competing in the Olympics since I was a little girl, and I have dedicated my entire life to realizing that dream. In my late twenties, after a decade of racing mountain bikes, I was on the cusp of making that dream a reality. Around the same time, I was finally figuring out my sexuality. I didn’t grow up with any queer role models. This is why it took some time to figure things out. I quietly came out to my friends and family, but I kept it under the radar in the cycling world. There are so many people and variables that go into making an Olympic dream come true. Olympic selection committees, trade teams, coaches, and national teams all held the keys to unlocking my dream. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of making the Olympics. I thought one homophobic person could dismantle years and years of my hard work.
I made the 2012 London Olympic Team. I won a bronze World Championship medal in 2014, and I won a silver World Championship medal in 2016. In the lead up to the 2016 Olympic Games, I won the game of love. I met Frazier. I crashed in an Olympic qualifying race in France, got six stitches in my elbow, and needed some time to recover from the injury. I returned home to Vermont, and, since I had some time, I met up with some friends at a Brandi Carlile concert. My friend had been trying to set Frazier and I up for months without success. Going into these Olympic Games, I promised myself that I wasn’t going to date anyone. I was dating the Olympics and fully focused. At this concert she finally set us up.
I dreamt of competing in the Olympics since I was a little girl, and I have dedicated my entire life to realizing that dream. In my late twenties, after a decade of racing mountain bikes, I was on the cusp of making that dream a reality. Around the same time, I was finally figuring out my sexuality. I didn’t grow up with any queer role models. This is why it took some time to figure things out. I quietly came out to my friends and family, but I kept it under the radar in the cycling world. There are so many people and variables that go into making an Olympic dream come true. Olympic selection committees, trade teams, coaches, and national teams all held the keys to unlocking my dream. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of making the Olympics. I thought one homophobic person could dismantle years and years of my hard work.
I made the 2012 London Olympic Team. I won a bronze World Championship medal in 2014, and I won a silver World Championship medal in 2016. In the lead up to the 2016 Olympic Games, I won the game of love. I met Frazier. I crashed in an Olympic qualifying race in France, got six stitches in my elbow, and needed some time to recover from the injury. I returned home to Vermont, and, since I had some time, I met up with some friends at a Brandi Carlile concert. My friend had been trying to set Frazier and I up for months without success. Going into these Olympic Games, I promised myself that I wasn’t going to date anyone. I was dating the Olympics and fully focused. At this concert she finally set us up.
The second I met Frazier on this blind date, I threw my Olympic dating rule out the window. We went on a dinner date the next day, and I had a full body rash from an allergic reaction to the French antibiotics I was taking. Frazier had food poisoning. No one knew about each other’s ailments except for I did notice that Frazier was drinking an enormous amount of water. I thought it was great she prioritized hydration. We persevered. I experienced the kind of heart bursting love that an extrovert like me wants to shout from the rooftops. Yet, I still kept that part of me under wraps. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of the Olympic medal I was relentlessly pursuing.
The second I met Frazier on this blind date, I threw my Olympic dating rule out the window. We went on a dinner date the next day, and I had a full body rash from an allergic reaction to the French antibiotics I was taking. Frazier had food poisoning. No one knew about each other’s ailments except for I did notice that Frazier was drinking an enormous amount of water. I thought it was great she prioritized hydration. We persevered. I experienced the kind of heart bursting love that an extrovert like me wants to shout from the rooftops. Yet, I still kept that part of me under wraps. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of the Olympic medal I was relentlessly pursuing.
Frazier and I got engaged in 2017 and were getting married in 2018. At the time, I was riding for Clif Bar and my sponsor contact at Clif Bar was also gay. Because of this, I felt comfortable sharing that I was getting married at the end of the season. During pride month, Clif Bar asked if they could celebrate my engagement on their Instagram. This action was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received; the freedom to be my true, authentic self. For the first time in the cycling world, this aspect of me was not only accepted but celebrated. I became whole. It was possible for me to be a professional cyclist, to be a two-time Olympian, and to be gay. All of these aspects can exist at once.
Frazier and I got engaged in 2017 and were getting married in 2018. At the time, I was riding for Clif Bar and my sponsor contact at Clif Bar was also gay. Because of this, I felt comfortable sharing that I was getting married at the end of the season. During pride month, Clif Bar asked if they could celebrate my engagement on their Instagram. This action was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received; the freedom to be my true, authentic self. For the first time in the cycling world, this aspect of me was not only accepted but celebrated. I became whole. It was possible for me to be a professional cyclist, to be a two-time Olympian, and to be gay. All of these aspects can exist at once.
This made such an impact on me that I want to give this gift of freedom to others. From this moment on, it became one of my goals to be that queer role model that I needed and a loud LGBTQ+ advocate. I want to be the proof that one can be their authentic self, and it won’t get in the way of their dreams coming true. I now shout my love from the rooftops. One single action can have a resounding impact, and I hope my visibility can have a ripple effect.
This made such an impact on me that I want to give this gift of freedom to others. From this moment on, it became one of my goals to be that queer role model that I needed and a loud LGBTQ+ advocate. I want to be the proof that one can be their authentic self, and it won’t get in the way of their dreams coming true. I now shout my love from the rooftops. One single action can have a resounding impact, and I hope my visibility can have a ripple effect.
We worked with Lea to create a one-of-a-kind bottle featuring an outline of Lea's favorite mountains: Camel's Hump and Mount Mansfield. Along with her signature phrase: "Happiness is fast"! The dark blue bottle also comes with a fun teal lid for that extra pop of color.
We worked with Lea to create a one-of-a-kind bottle featuring an outline of Lea's favorite mountains: Camel's Hump and Mount Mansfield. Along with her signature phrase: "Happiness is fast"! The dark blue bottle also comes with a fun teal lid for that extra pop of color.
R Beam
February 16, 2026
Amazing story. Being able to provide role models for future generations of athletes is a powerful legacy.
Go Lea!