Today Dotsie (Cowden) Bausch is a picture of health. She is a bicycle racer who has risen to the top of the women's professional peloton. Radiant and muscular, her body is a finely tuned racing machine powered by a highly trained cardiovascular system. She's capable of pedaling her bike up and over precipitous mountains and canyons above her anaerobic threshold in races and daily training rides that last for hours at a time. Her energy is seemingly boundless and she lights up a room with her vivacious personality. It's hard to believe that this elite athlete was facing death eight years ago.

Back then, Bausch was emaciated and she could literally feel her undernourished body feeding upon itself. She experienced frequent memory loss, her hair was falling out, her skin was gaunt, and she would sleep for excessive periods of time. Her body had been suffering for years from anorexia and she had become bulimic. She was no longer being hired for modeling jobs and she had a recreational drug habit that only made matters worse.

"I was slowly but surely spiraling towards rock bottom when it hit me: if I continue living like this, I'm going to die," Bausch recalled. "Or I can choose to live. It was a sobering and very real moment that I guess I had to get to before realizing that I had a serious problem. I decided then and there that I wanted to live and I needed help."

Thankfully Bausch found help and she was able to turn her life around completely. She's hoping that her story might just inspire others to do the same.

Born and raised in a conservative middle class family in Louisville, Kentucky, Bausch was close to her parents and sister. Her parents made sacrifices so she could ride saddle-bred horses competitively, which she did nationally and internationally from the age of five through seventeen. But Bausch was also a rebellious thrill-seeker who liked to test the limits of what she could get away with. She started smoking cigarettes as a twelve-year-old and often got into trouble growing up. Desiring to expand her horizons, Bausch headed north to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to attend Villanova University, where she majored in communications and minored in philosophy. She wanted to be a television journalist.

During her sophomore year, Bausch joined the crew team and her naturally lithe figure began to bulk up. By the following year, she grew tired of the 4:30 a.m. wake-up calls so she left the squad. However, her appetite continued as if she was training, hence her muscular physique began to turn to fat. She started dieting and skipping meals, but it wasn't really a problem, at least that's what she told herself. The summer before her senior year, Bausch landed an internship with a veteran entertainment reporter at the local NBC television affiliate in Philadelphia. During those few short months, she realized that she no longer wanted to pursue her chosen career path. Faced without a direction in life, Bausch felt lost and disillusioned.

"This really was the beginning of my problems," Bausch confessed. "Time was moving on and I didn't have control over it. I was entering my senior year of college and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life." She wasn't eating enough and she still didn't see it as a problem. "I was in complete denial the first year (of anorexia)." To help offset some of the costs of school, Bausch started modeling in her senior year. After graduation in 1995, she moved to New York City and worked steadily in the modeling world. "The whole lifestyle was so unhealthy. When I wasn't working, I was up partying all night and then I'd sleep all day. I used drugs recreationally and cocaine fueled my eating disorder."

Her mother organized an intervention, but Bausch wasn't ready to get healthy. "It was obvious to everyone else that I had a problem, but I didn't see it," explained Bausch. "My parents sent me to a treatment facility where I underwent group counseling. The problem with that was that the patients traded secrets about how to get away with your eating disorder. It's common, but you actually end up learning how to better conceal your illness."

Over a five-year period, Bausch saw four different doctors while battling her eating disorders (she stopped using drugs on her own). No longer able to work as a model, she got into the production end of music videos and television commercials, working on high profile projects with No Doubt, Julio Iglesias and Visa. In 1997, she moved to Los Angeles, California where she continued her work in that field. "Somehow I was functional throughout my illness. I was doing pretty well with work, but it just wasn't my passion."

It was around then that she had that pivotal moment and she decided to live. Bausch attended a lecture by Dr. KRS Edstrom, a renowned doctor, author, columnist and speaker, and she connected with what she heard. "I bought some of KRS' tapes and started seeing her a couple times a week." The two worked closely, intent on helping Bausch recover and get healthy. At the same time, Bausch decided to utilize her university degree and pursue a career in hard news. She took a job at a Los Angeles television station and began to build her demo reel while dabbling in production.

With her health recovering, some of Bausch's friends convinced her to train for the 1998 California AIDS Ride, a nearly 600-mile bicycling fundraising adventure from San Francisco to Los Angeles, which she completed. She enjoyed the hours she spent on her bike so the following year she decided to try racing. Her first race was one of the biggest and toughest races in the U.S.: The Sea Otter Classic in Northern California, where she raced in the rain on a challenging and technical course. Bausch tasted racing and, like so many others, initially vowed never to do it again. But she came back. At her next race in Porterville, she met her mentors, Katie & Jim Safford, who retrieved Bausch from the bushes where they found her hurling her guts up after a particularly tough race. "I was only a category four (beginner) racer and I was in tears," Bausch recalled with a chuckle. "I was sick and I couldn't breathe. I called my mom and cried to her that it was the hardest thing I'd ever done and that I never wanted to do it again. For some reason, the Saffords saw something in me and they took me under their wing." The Saffords formed an amateur women's cycling team (Team Earthlink) and they nurtured and developed Bausch into a racer. The student turned out to be a prodigy. One year later, Bausch won the California State Time Trial Championship and in 2001, she won the California State Road Race Championship. It was time to test herself on the national level. Bausch went to Elite Nationals and finished an impressive fourth in the road race. Back home, she continued to dominate the California racing circuit, winning race after race.

In 2002, Bausch was recruited by the U.S. national team, which offered her the chance to race professionally for Team T-Mobile. The timing was interesting. "I had decided to go back to school to get a Master's degree in psychology and had already attended the first week of classes when I got the call. Honestly I thought that I was a year away from possibly turning pro, but I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity."

The racing season was a transitional one for Bausch as she adjusted to life as a pro while battling a back injury. During the winter months, she trained hard and entered the 2003 season ready and stronger than ever. She helped her T-Mobile team win the Solano Bicycle Classic and the Elite National Championship Road Race. In April, Bausch achieved one of her goals for this season: finishing on the podium at a National Calendar Race, which she did at the Tour of Bisbee. In June, 500,000 spectators, including her beaming parents, watched her conquer the steep Manayunk Wall in Philadelphia at the Liberty Classic, where she won the Queen of the Mountains prize as best hill climber. Days later, she finished 7th overall at the grueling Nature Valley Grand Prix stage race. While preparing to compete in her first Giro d'Italia, one of the premiere international stage races in the world held in Italy in July, Bausch once again won the California State Championship Road Race. She went to Italy feeling strong and finished in the Top 25 overall. In August, Cowden finished 9th at the National Criterium Championship.

With 2004 being an Olympic year, the pressure was huge on the national team. It wasn't the happiest environment for Bausch as the women on the team were fighting each other for the few precious spots on the U.S. Olympic team. Bausch continued to gain experience and grow as a cyclist while working hard for the team and keeping her eyes focused on the future. She went back to the Liberty Classic and took 2nd in the Queen of the Mountains race. She won the Kern County Women's Stage Race and a road race stage at the Superweek International Cycling Classic. After loyally supporting others, Bausch demonstrated to herself and to others that she was now ready to be a team leader.

The Colavita/Cooking Light team gave Bausch the opportunity to be a team leader for the 2005 season. She worked hard and considerably improved her climbing and time trialing, which also seemed to benefit her sprint. Bausch rose to the occasion by making eight podium appearances at National Racing Calendar events last season. She was especially strong in stage races (multi-day events), which earned her the top spot on the U.S. Cycling Federation women's stage race rankings. Highlights from her NRC successes include 3rd place overall at the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic; 4th place overall at the Tour of Gila; 5th place overall at both the Joe Martin Stage Race and the Superweek International Cycling Classic; and 9th place overall at the San Dimas Stage Race. Bausch also snagged an impressive 14th place at the Montreal World Cup race against the best cyclists on the international stage.

Through some savvy off-season acquisitions, Colavita/Cooking Light bolstered their ranks making them a powerhouse certain to be one of the most dominant teams on the domestic pro circuit this year. With Bausch even more confident in her role as a team leader, she's off to a strong start in what bodes to be her best season yet. She won the first NRC race of the season, the McLane Pacific Road Race, and placed 5th overall at the Redlands Bicycle Classic (including 3rd place in the tough Sunset Road Race stage) in just the first month of the young season. Her fitness continues to progress and she's stronger than ever physically and mentally. She seems to learn from each race. Looking ahead, Bausch hopes to be selected for the World Championship team, where she would like to medal before her career finishes. She's also aiming for a couple of national championships and a selection for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Bausch is committed, focused and hardworking and is now in her peak years as an endurance athlete.

Has she replaced one addiction with another? "I've learned that I have an addictive personality and I accept myself as I am. In many ways, I have picked a healthy addiction because had I not found my passion in cycling, I might have become an addict of hard drugs or worse by now," admitted Bausch. "But I've never been as ultimately challenged by my work as I am every day in cycling. I'm super passionate about cycling and I don't ever see getting bored with it, but if I did, I'd have to quit right away because I want to always be progressing as a human being." "Truthfully, I sometimes wonder if I would revert to my old habits (eating disorders) if I stopped cycling," revealed Bausch. "Now I know who to see and where to go for help if I did. I can't go back to restricting my diet. I give my body what it wants when it wants it. As an athlete, I eat healthful, fresh foods, but I do allow myself to enjoy all kinds of food." Bausch knows she's lucky and wants to help others recover and rebuild their lives, which is why she decided to reveal her past via media appearances. "The problem is that women don't know where to get help. Alcoholics and drug users have places where they can go to get help, but where do people go if they have an eating disorder? What makes eating disorders inherently difficult to overcome is that an alcoholic can stop drinking and a drug abuser can quit drugs, but people can not go without eating, which perhaps makes it one of the most difficult addictions to overcome. They literally have to re-learn how to eat and maintain healthy eating habits.

"There was a moment during the '04 Olympic trials when I realized that the purpose of my life is about helping others overcome eating disorders," said Bausch. "I realized that the more I can do on the bike, the larger the

spotlight I'll have to reach more young girls, women and men who need help and encouragement in their battle. When I'm out there suffering on the bike in a race or while training, I think of them. I'll give my heart and soul in order to be able to help even just one person who is struggling with anorexia or bulimia."

When Bausch's personal story was told in Bicycling magazine, the traffic on her website shot up and she received email from young people across the world that were seeking help and didn't know where to turn. She also heard from parents, family members, friends, teachers, and principals who were worried about someone they cared about. Bausch personally responded to every email, called some people, and even visited a few while she was traveling throughout the world racing her bike.

A woman in Ecuador who saw the article contacted Bausch to enlist her help in raising funds for an eating disorder clinic she opened after her daughter recovered from anorexia. She invited Bausch to come to South America during the off-season from cycling to lead benefit bike rides and spin classes. Bausch's presence attracted plenty of media attention for the facility and their cause and was successful in raising much needed funds. Whenever her schedule permits, Bausch plans to do similar visits wherever needed, offering hope and inspiration through lectures, individual talks, visiting clinics, raising funds, and any other way possible. She also hopes to one day launch AHED - Athletes Healing Eating Disorders.

"I'm no different or more special than anyone else. If I was able to overcome eating disorders and get strong enough to become a professional athlete, anyone can beat their eating disorder to live a full, healthy and productive life," said Bausch, who got married in October 2005. "If sharing my story can help even just one person, then it will have been worth it. There are so many girls out there struggling like I was, some even worse off. Hopefully we can help them find the help they need."

Strong-willed, tenacious, dynamic and warmhearted, there's no stopping Bausch both on and off the bike. She overcame an illness that threatened to take her life. In just a handful of years, she's risen to the elite ranks of professional cycling. She's got the brains, the beauty, the strength and the personality to achieve whatever she puts her mind towards accomplishing. The opportunities for this gifted woman are abundant. It seems like she's only at the beginning of her journey, but that she's on the right path to great successes. Dotsie Bausch decided to live and live is what she is going to do fully each and every moment.