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Location 📍 Milwaukee, Wisconsin (GMT-6) 🇺🇸

Language: English

Education: B.S. in Exercise Science

Certifications: USA Cycling Certified Coach

Zach’s Background in Sports

Soccer was everything to young Zach. He started playing in elementary school and began making his way up the travel-club ladder. But a couple of serious knee injuries put an end to his soccer career when he was just 16, so Zach started searching for something new. That summer, he was on a family vacation in Belgium when he saw the Tour de France in-person for the first time. Immediately inspired, Zach started riding his bike (a lot) as soon as he returned home to Wisconsin. Before he knew it, after his first local criterium, he was hooked. Zach trained in the basement through the Wisconsin winter, and the next year he earned his Cat 2 upgrade after just three months of road racing.

At Marian University-Indianapolis, Zach raced track in the fall, cyclocross in the winter, and road in the spring. While his natural talent had been enough as a junior, Zach soon realized that he was a small fish in a big pond at Marian. In order to better himself and earn a spot on the A-team, Zach went back to learning to basics: bike-handling skills, training, nutrition, recovery, sport psychology, and more. So strong was his passion for sport and exercise that he chose to study Exercise Science, with the goal of one day making it into a full-time career. Zach was lucky enough to learn from the best of the best at Marian, whose graduates include pro riders Coryn Rivera and Kaitie Keough (née Antonneau).

While at Marian, Zach balanced part-time work, a position in Marian’s Student Government Association, and 15-20 hours/week of training in addition to a full-time class load. Through his personal and professional experience, Zach learned how to maintain a positive work/life/training balance – to this day, he continues to work with busy athletes and full-time students.

After graduating from Marian, Zach pursued a career in road cycling, competing in events such as the North Star Grand Prix, Cascade Cycling Classic, Joe Martin Stage Race, Redlands Classic, Tour of the Gila, Reading 120, Green Mountain Stage Race, and multiple junior, U23, collegiate, elite, and professional national championships. Some of his career highlights include 2nd Overall at the 2019 Cascade Cycling Classic, 9th at the 2019 US Pro National Championships Time Trial, and 4th at the 2018 U23 National Championships Time Trial.

After the 2019 season, Zach decided to retire from full-time road racing and focus on finding a better work/life balance with cycling. He began full-time work as a coach and writer at the beginning of 2020. Nowadays, Zach races on Zwift and MyWhoosh, as well as local bikes races and events in the Midwest. He spends most of his time running ZNehr Coaching and writing about bikes. Zach lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his fiancée, Macey, and their tiny cat, Roo.

Zach helps his athletes deal with the ins and outs of traveling, whether it is for sport or work. He has extensive experience with host housing, travel logistics, and team organization. His clients benefit from his commitment to communication, timeliness, and professionalism, developed while balancing work, family, and school with traveling for weeks at a time. Zach is adamant that athletes never go it alone. “One of the most important aspects of training has nothing to do with training at all – It is having a strong support network around you: family, friends, riding partners, coaches, even friendly gas station attendants who will give you a free refill. These are the people who help us through the darkest of times. They help us up after we get knocked down. And they will be there smiling and cheering for us as we approach the finish line or stand on top of the podium… As a coach, I challenge my athletes, I support my athletes, and I help them get faster, reach their goals, and become happier and healthier humans through sport and exercise.”