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Jill Hathaway’s story is one of grit and strength. From championship rowing to a bike accident to unexpected surgeries, Jill has continually redefined what it means to be an athlete. Her journey with ElliptiGO began with a flash of red and a spark of curiosity — and quickly became a lifeline back to health, identity and joy. This month, we celebrate Jill as our May 2025 Rider of the Month.

Jill Hathaway and her husband, Nick, call Amherst, Massachusetts, home. That’s where they raised their daughter and twin boys (all of whom are now in their twenties). Jill says, “It has been a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors and raise a family.”

Jill grew up 100 miles and a world away, in Fall River, Massachusetts — an old mill town marked by poverty and crime. “It wasn’t easy growing up there,” Jill says. But it was where she fell in love with cycling. She recalls, “My bike gave me a sense of freedom and a means to escape.”

Her athleticism blossomed at Cornell University. “Initially, I felt like a fish out of water,” says Jill. But a group of women insisted that Jill come to the boathouse for crew tryouts. Jill made the team and found a sense of belonging. Being tall and strong are necessities for rowers, and Jill fit right in with her teammates.

In 1989, she was part of the team that won the collegiate national championships. “That’s a continued source of pride to this day,” she shares. Jill remains active in the sport today. She competes in U.S. and World Masters rowing championships, with many successes both on a rowing team and rowing solo.

After graduating from Cornell, Jill headed to Boston College to earn her Master of Social Work degree. She worked in the field for a few years before pausing to have children. Jill intended to return to social work, but her life took a turn when a serious cycling accident resulted in a C1/C2 unstable neck fracture.

Recovery was slow and painful. Jill says, “Post-surgery, there was some lasting nerve damage and pain, but overall, I was considered quite lucky.” Still, she struggled to feel strong in her body again. Then she discovered Pilates.

Pilates helped her gain strength and alleviate pain. Jill says, “I tried to focus more on what I could do, not on what I couldn’t.” She eventually became a certified instructor with a rehabilitative focus, opening Amherst Pilates in a converted train station.

But then another injury threatened to derail her active lifestyle. Jill began experiencing significant pain in her derrière. She notes, “That’s a major problem for a rower and sit-down cyclist.”

This time, Jill found her way back to health through ElliptiGO bikes. She saw a bright red ElliptiGO zipping through her neighborhood and decided to track down the rider to find out more about that bike without a seat. She was sure that even with her injury, she’d be able to ride comfortably on an elliptical bike. She bought her first ElliptiGO bike in 2020. “Not only did I get a new bike … but a new friend as well!” says Jill. 

Ultimately, Jill was diagnosed with a significant labral tear. She had surgery to repair it, and Jill says, “The surgeon found a whole lot more in there than he expected.” As soon as Jill healed from the surgery, she had to have a second surgery: a hip replacement. “That is still a little hard for me to wrap my head around,” she admits.

Riding her ElliptiGO bike became a cornerstone of her rehabilitation. Jill shares, “GOing really helped me claim a piece of myself that I wasn’t sure I would find again. It helped me hold onto a piece of myself that was crucial to my well-being — the athlete that is so much a part of my identity.” 

Now recovered from her surgeries, Jill continues to teach Pilates part-time. She rides her ElliptiGO bike an average of four times a week, occasionally with her daughter, Julia, and more often with her close-knit group of ElliptiGO-riding friends: Dana Parrot (a.k.a. DJ), Ken Pevay (a.k.a. Kenny boy), and Kim Nedeau (a.k.a. Kimmy).

Jill’s fitness routine also includes strength training on Pilates equipment and two sit-down rides per week. She hikes from time to time and enjoys paddle boarding in the summer. When fall regatta season approaches, she focuses more on rowing. However, rowing and seated cycling can irritate her piriformis muscle. But Jill knows exactly what to do: “When that happens, it’s time to ride my GO.”

Jill now owns three ElliptiGO bikes: An 11R (her favorite), an 8S that mostly stays on the Fluid 365 Stationary Trainer for winter training, and an RSUB. She’s inspired by the riders in the Strava EllliptiGO group. And she’s contemplating heading to San Diego for ElliptiGO Rally Weekend, which will be held October 3-5, 2025. (We say: DO IT! Check out the 2024 Rally Weekend Recap.)

One of her favorite ElliptiGO biking adventures was a five-day ride with her husband along Le P’tit Train du Nord, a bike trail that winds through the Laurentian Mountains in Canada. They pulled their own gear and stayed in Airbnbs. “The trip was truly magnificent,” she says. “I look forward to more touring trips in the not-so-distant future.”

Jill’s journey through injuries, surgeries and recovery has deepened her appreciation for the unique role ElliptiGO bikes can play in healing and fitness. She says, “ElliptiGOing has made a huge impact on my life. It’s given me so much, exactly when I’ve needed it most. There are many folks out there who find sit-down riding hard on the butt, back, neck, etc. GOing is a solution for all those ailments. And on top of that, it is simply FUN!”

Jill’s story is a reminder that strength doesn’t always look like charging up hills or setting records; it’s also found in healing, adapting and reclaiming your identity in the face of adversity. Congratulations, Jill, on being named our May 2025 Rider of the Month! We’ll be cheering you on as you continue your ElliptiGO journey and maybe—just—maybe — at ElliptiGO Rally Weekend in San Diego this fall. Keep GOing strong!

 

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You can contact ElliptiGO with nominations to Rider of the Month or share your own story. It may just be the next feature!