Whatever you picture when you think of an accountant, you’re probably not imagining Nina Kessler. Yet the 35-year-old earned her undergraduate degree in business economics and enjoyed her years in accounting before she made the leap to becoming a professional cyclist, although – luckily for us – she doesn’t plan to return to bookkeeping anytime soon.

Nina began cycling as a child. She used to ride with a club near her house and when she got a pink bike as a seven-year-old, that sealed her love for the sport. She branched out from road cycling and raced mountain bikes and on the track, but when she felt she was spread too thin across so many disciplines to reach her potential, Nina chose to focus on road racing.

The Dutchwoman is an experienced sprinter, though these days she often prefers to be a road captain. She has over 500 days of road racing experience and has learned a thing or two as a result. She prides herself on being able to accurately read a race situation and guiding her teammates through the finals of a race.

Away from the racing season, you’ll still find Nina surrounded by cycling. Not only does she compete recreationally in beach races in the winter – think mountain bikes with big tires and low pressure racing along the Dutch coastline – her parents are soigneurs in the Netherlands and her siblings are big fans of the sport. In fact, they are her biggest supporters.