About

Oliva (Liv) Birkenhauer

Mountain Bike Instructor/Ride Guide

It is my passion to educate, inspire and motivate people on mountain bike by ensuring a safe, fun program of learning skills and maneuvers to help them find their best flow on the trail.

I have been riding since 2000 but was more of a casual mountain biker using the bike to cross train for other sports that I played in college and throughout my adult life. In 2012 I decided to get in my first race and by the next year I was competing in Endurance racing and Cyclocross.

Mountain biking is the perfect sport …. Lifetime fitness, mindfulness in nature and the great comradery of the mountain biking community.

I have played and coached sports most of my life and Mountain Biking Instruction and coaching a youth club team is my passion and a natural fit of my skill sets.

Qualifications:

  • International Mountain Bike Association — ICP Level I & II
  • Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association Level I
  • USA Cycling Coach Level III
  • Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, NSCA
  • Certified Applied Functional Science, Gray Institute
  • SAFE SPORT CERTIFIED
  • CPR, First Aid certified 2016
  • Wilderness First Aid will

Experience:

  • Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance Board of Directors, Vice President 2017
  • Take a Kid Mountain Biking 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • Midwest Mountain Bike Clinic 2016, 2017
  • Michaux MTB Clinic 2018
  • KIDS on BIKES 2017,2018
  • Liv (Giant) Clinic May 2016
  • Beyond Exercise Clinic Sept 2016
  • KYMBA Clinic Sept. 2016
  • American Heritage Girls Clinic August 2016, 2017
  • Greater Cincinnati Women’s Group mini clinics/rides 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Strength & Conditioning Coach NKU Women’s Basketball 2004–2011… 2008 National Champions
  • Performance Coach/Trainer 2001 – present @ GOT Mobile Fitness

Read what others are saying about GOT DIRT!

Mary Jane Combs

Thanks for a great into to MTB. Your clinic was a catalyst to feeling more confident on the bike and having so much more fun while doing it. Keep me informed of future clinics.

Rindy Walton

Just want to give a shout-out to Olivia Birkenhauer & her GOT DIRT clinics…I’m a total MTB “newbie” & just did her beginner clinic yesterday. Seriously, what a great coach! I’ve played & coached a lot of other sports & her ability to break down the skills & give individualized critique & tips for each is fantastic. If you want to advance your skills, definitely take one of her classes!!

Kathy Cunningham

Olivia is an extremely accomplished athlete and coach, and she brings strong skills and knowledge to the sport of mountain biking. The past several years that I have known Olivia, she has been continually involved with MTB racing; has trained year-round on the bike and in the gym with discipline and consistency; has led countless one-on-one and small group training sessions; and has developed that extra edge of expertise by completing coaching certifications and in-depth training camps with top-ranked programs. All this, along with giving back to the community. In addition to her many accomplishments, Olivia is always a lovely and insightful person to spend time with. Your coaching with Olivia will be well worth your investment! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Tricia

Thank you Liv and a pleasure to meet all of you….thank you for the fun, patience, and friendship….
And for Matchy Girl Sheryl, you needed a certificate so you can get that purple chain ring….
Certificate of Completion: Sheryl did it! Woohoo! 4/8/2018

Ha. And no injuries. Ruining my reputation, of course!
Thank you for your patience; I had a fantastic weekend and learned so much. You were wonderful, much appreciated….

Sophia Ruiz

Love the pics! Loved the weekend! Loved the camaraderie of my team! Can’t wait to practice my new skillz! Thanks to each of you for making this weekend such a great experience. And a special thanks to the best coach, ever! Liv, you were a gift to us.

Sheryl

Thanks Liv for the keywords and the photos! It was great to meet all of you and hope to see some of you again next year.
And no certificate required – I’ve already gone and rewarded myself with a super-matchy purple 30T ring! but I’ll give it a rest now and focus on improving my riding instead of pretty-fying my bike!