Jess is a competitive cross country mountain biker who has worked to compete at an elite level in both regional and national events. After a successful career as a football player, he began competing as a cyclist in 2002 after a second ACL reconstruction. Collecting on four years of personal training experience in Minnesota, he worked his way through the mountain bike classifications and now competes in the Expert class, racing for the Wisconsin/ Illinois based Guinness Mountain Biking Team. His calendar includes contests in cross country, ultra-endurance, and 24 hour events. His past accomplishments include a second place finish at the two day Coer d' Alene River Challenge race in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho, a second place finish in the Duo class for the 2006 Spokane Round and Round 24 Hour Race, a top 75th percentile finish at the 2008 Leadville 100, and many regional podium spots in the Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS). In 2009, in addition to a full XC calendar, he will compete in the Solo Division at the 24 Hours of Nine-Mile Woods (Granny Gear Productions) national event in Wausau, WI. Jess currently lives in Delafield, WI and is a married father of three.