The first Indigenous North American to ride the Tour de France, Neilson Powless was perhaps destined to become a professional sportsperson. His father Jack was the United States Air Force athlete of the year in 1992, the same year that his mother Jeanette Allred competed in the marathon at the Barcelona Olympics for her home country of Guam.
While he was a youngster growing up in Roseville, California, it was anyone’s guess which sport Neilson would end up making his living from. He played basketball, soccer, and was “a really good boxer” according to father Jack. It was hitting the country trails on his mountain bike, though, as well as running and lake swimming, that most interested him. Adventure triathlons, in particular the Xterra series, were the realm where his potential began to shine through.
