Christine D'Ercole

D’Ercole grew up wanting to be a ballerina but was told that her thighs were too big.[1] As a young adult, she wanted to work as a Broadway performer, choosing to attend a performing arts high school, followed by studying theater at Carnegie Mellon University.[1][2] She used to ride her bike to classes.[3]

After graduating from college, D’Ercole started auditioning for theater roles in New York City while working as a bartender and bike messenger to pay the bills.[1] She became a part of the bike messenger community, who encouraged her to pursue track cycling and racing full-time.[1][3]

While pursuing cycling, D’Ercole has also worked as a model and a fitness instructor.[1] After teaching at SoulCycle and Equinox, she began working as a Peloton instructor in 2014.[1]

D’Ercole has won the Masters World Championship in cycling and is a five-time National Champion.[4][5] In 2021, she won 5 gold medals at the Masters Track National Championships, in the Points Race, Scratch Race, 2K Time Trial, Team Pursuit, and Team Sprint events.[5] She is the only Peloton instructor who has won a world or national track cycling championship.[1]

In 2019, D’Ercole was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma after noticing a spot on her nose.[6][7] The surgery to remove the cancer was a success.[6]

D’Ercole lives and works in Manhattan, and owns a Dutch Colonial house in Easton, Pennsylvania.[8]

D’Ercole was in romantic relationships with women for many years and identified as gay. In 2021 she got engaged to a man she had met through a virtual Peloton class.[9]