Career Highlights: Whitten is a quick learner, already thinking Olympic gold in just her fourth year as a competitive cyclist. A former cross country skier, Whitten won gold in the points race and individual pursuit at the 2008 Canadian national championships at the age of 28. After three World Cup finishes and a silver in the omnium at the 2009 world championships, Whitten placed first in the omnium and the points race at the worlds one year later. A versatile racer who competes in both the road and track disciplines, Whitten won her second straight world championship in the omnium in 2011. A gold medalist in the road time trial at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, she also is a member of Canada’s talented team pursuit squad. Though Whitten hails from Edmonton, she lives and trains in Los Angeles. She is in the process of completing a Ph.D. in neuroscience.