Evelyn Stevens has lived the dream of every weekend warrior cyclist who’s ever wondered: What would happen if I quit my day job and rode my bike full time?

Most of us mortals would wind up pedaling straight back into the office. But Stevens, 33, climbed straight to the top of her sport.

Not very long ago, Stevens was an associate at an investment fund in New York City, tucked at a desk, grinding long hours on Wall Street. She bought a bike to stay fit. She started riding, and jumped into a race clinic in Central Park in June 2008.

She got hooked. Stevens soon started winning races, and quickly became recognized as a force in the region. It turned out that Stevens, a tennis player in college, had unlocked a previously hidden physiology for cycling—the power and endurance capacity of a high-level pro. Her ascension was startling. In 2009, she finished 15th in the World Championships road race in Switzerland.

That was that. Stevens took the leap to compete full-time as a professional.