Apart from being a dual Olympian in running then cycling, Donna Gould also competed in three Tour de France races.
Little did Donna Gould’s friends at Willunga High School back in the early 80s know that she would become the first Australian woman to participate in back-to-back Olympics in different sports.
Little did they know either, that she would ultimately earn a degree, then Honours, then Masters and finally a Doctor of Psychology – and become a director of DK Psychology. After marrying, her name is now Donna Kite.
To be fair, although she always aimed big and committed accordingly, Donna Gould may not have guessed her path either.
Afterall, at school she was already competing in the Australian championships in the 1500m and 3000m races, with no hint of road cycling revealing itself then.
Once selected for the 1984 Olympics in LA, she was able to train with her father in the fresh country air of McLaren Vale, running alongside kilometres of vineyards.
Despite owning Australian titles that year – in the 10km and 3km – Donna narrowly missed the Olympic final. She was only 18 at the time.
There was a clear and strong decision after LA to move away from running, and Donna Gould moved into cycling – competing at the Seoul Olympics four years later – in the women’s individual road racing, still being able to employ her undoubted endurance capacities.
As part of a strong Australian team of cyclists including Kathy Watt, Donna Gould also competed in three Tour de France races.
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