Coryn has never been afraid of competition. Growing up, she was always on the move, athletic, outdoors and eager to test herself. With a dad who raced motorcycles and downhill mountain bikes and a mom who rode tandem, it was almost inevitable that Coryn would end up on two wheels. 

Her first taste of road cycling came from the back of that tandem. Soon enough, she wanted her own bike. A kids’ race at the Redlands Classic sealed her fate: one lap of the criterium course, one victory, and she was hooked. She came back the next year, won again, and quickly realized that waiting twelve months for another chance wasn’t enough. A racing license followed, then junior gears, and within weeks she was competing regularly. Local races turned into state championships, then national titles. By the time her junior years were over, she had already collected 32 U.S. national championships. That collection eventually grew to 74 across junior, collegiate, U23, and pro categories — three of them at a pro level.  

But no career unfolds without setbacks. For Coryn, a defining moment came in 2011 at the Tour of Qatar, when a crash left her concussed and knocked out cold. It was a clear reminder of the risks of the sport, but more importantly, it reshaped her path. Instead of leaping straight into the pro ranks, she chose to attend Marion University on a cycling scholarship. There, she studied marketing, raced collegiately, and gave herself the time to grow as both an athlete and a person. 

That decision proved pivotal for what she now calls her “U23 years.” At the time, there wasn’t a true under-23 category for women. The jump from juniors to pros was often too steep. Collegiate cycling gave her space to recover, mature, and build lifelong friendships. It’s a chapter she still looks back on with gratitude. 

When asked to distill her coaching philosophy into a single line, Coryn is clear: the path to success is not linear. Cycling, like life, is full of ups and downs. Injuries, health, work, family, they all affect performance. What matters most, she believes, is how you respond to obstacles, not whether the road is smooth. 

At the core of her approach lies belief. “What’s the point of doing everything required to succeed if you don’t believe you can actually do it?” she asks. For her, belief is the foundation on which everything else is built. 

Coaching, in her view, is more than training plans. It’s a relationship built on trust, communication, and honesty. Whether working with pros who can devote their entire day to cycling or amateurs fitting training around work and family, Coryn adapts her approach to meet riders where they are. And when setbacks inevitably arise, she shares a piece of wisdom from one of her own coaches: the universe works for you, not against you. Sometimes a setback is simply a disguised opportunity, like getting sick during a taper week, which forces the body to rest. 

Her advice extends well beyond the bike. She urges riders, and really anyone chasing a goal, to approach challenges with an open mind. New ideas, new workouts, even failure: being receptive to it all creates space for growth. “If you expect everything to be perfect, you’ll be disappointed,” she says. “You’re always capable of more than you think.” 

When motivation dips, she encourages athletes to strip things back to joy. “Remind yourself what you love about the bike,” Coryn explains. “Yes, goals matter, but if you don’t enjoy the process, it’s hard to get the best out of yourself.” Her favorite sessions reflect that philosophy, endurance rides scattered with sprints to break the monotony, 40/20s that have long been a staple in her training and coaching, or the classic “five by five”: five minutes all-out, repeated five times. These are workouts that demand listening to your body, not just chasing arbitrary numbers. 

And when it comes to the start line, her advice is just as practical as it is simple: eat something. Nutrition, she insists, can make or break the day. Eating on the line provides both fuel and a distraction from nerves. It’s a ritual she practiced throughout her career, so much so that photos often show her with food in hand, mid-bite, moments before the race began. 

Now, Coryn rides for fun. No training schedules, no racing calendars, just open roads, time with her husband and friends, and the simple joy of pedaling. Off the bike, she tends to her garden, experiments with sourdough bread, and, of course, never misses her morning espresso. 

As a coach, her hope is to give riders perspective — that there’s more than one way to reach a goal, more than one path to success. And if there’s one principle, she wants every rider to carry into each ride, it’s this: have fun. Because at the end of the day, joy is the reason to keep going. 

Want to be coached by Coryn Labecki or another Team EF coach? Book a 1:1 consultation here to begin your journey.