Emma Pooley takes a break

[Owlie]

Here she is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Pooley

She was the 2010 world champion in time trialing, and British road and time trialing champion in that same year. And I would not dare call a career in academia "less demanding".

Seriously. It doesn't have the physical demands, sure, but it's just as mentally demanding, if not more so, IMHO.