Winning a gold medal is a lot like being a VC, according to Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner

Kristen Faulkner’s extraordinary Olympic success, winning two gold medals, was the result of lessons learned from her previous career as a venture capitalist.

Faulkner was an associate investor at Threshold Ventures and before that at Bessemer Venture Partners, leaving the VC world in 2021 to focus on cycling. He was not initially scheduled to compete in the 158-kilometer (98-mile) road cycling race, but at the last minute he stepped in for teammate Taylor Knibb. Faulkner outlasted the favorites that day to win gold. He went on to finish second as part of the gold-winning U.S. women’s track cycling team.

“As a VC, you sit with entrepreneurs every day who are going to do something they’re passionate about. They have these great ideas. They’re taking risks,” she told Fortune, adding that this mindset helps her win pitches. “If a VC thinks there’s a 50-50 chance the company will succeed, that doesn’t mean they’re going to go 50-50 all in. When you invest, you weigh the risk and you make your decision, but then you put everything in. You don’t look back. You have to be committed. I think that’s something that’s shaped me.”