Sometimes I think finding your niche activity is a bit like eating at a buffet…You often have a to try a bit of everything before you know what it is you really like!
I was very late to the party in discovering the joys of mountain biking. I was 41 the first time I ever actually rode a mountain bike trail and I was on an old Giant Ladies Boulder hardtail that I’d had since I was 28 or 29!
I decided to learn how to mountain bike on a bit of whim really. I’d always been someone who liked to try new things and wanted to soak in new experiences and skills. Up to this point I’d already rode horses in primary school, played hockey and soccer (I still play soccer), attended kickboxing classes in my 30’s, learnt to park skate (quad skates) in my late 30’s, learnt to surf (whitewash mostly), and had my first amateur boxing title match at 40!
It all happened when I met a lady who introduced me to the real world of mountain biking. This lady rode bikes – MTB, road and gravel. She’d previously won a XC state title and I found that extremely impressive and interesting. It piqued my interest so much, that when she said she was starting up a local cycling academy and was doing a gravel cornering workshop, I immediately signed up. My riding was not great at the clinic, but it was where my desire to learn about real mountain biking was born from. She told me about WA Gravity Enduro and that Echidna Park (my home turf) was hosting it’s first round of the WA State Title there, and that I should go and check it out. As soon as I saw the riders, the tails, and the atmosphere, I was hooked! I HAD to learn how so I could go out and ride trails just like those!
My learning really progressed when I discovered WA Gravity Girls and through them, Huck it Coaching! I attended a foundations course with Hannah and not long after took myself along to the WA Gravity Girls 2023 Roadshow event. The event meant riding many different types of venues and trails from Perth right down to the South West. We received guidance and coaching sessions from coaches and other capable volunteers who were part of the event and again, Huck it was a huge part of this …
Since that first year I’ve received so much encouragement and support from Hannah at Huck it, and I’m so grateful to her and to WA Gravity Girls for the amazing women who support each other all across Western Australia.
What I didn’t realise at the time, was that I wasn’t just going to be riding new trails and learning new skills, I was also gaining a whole new community of supportive peers throughout the entire MTB community.
These days, I really want to actively demonstrate to all the ladies and girls out there who think they can’t because of age, gender, fitness or lack of confidence, that these aren’t really a factor when you’re out shredding on your bike. We’ve all had to start somewhere, and I’ve found you can break down barriers very easily and form amazing friendships, just by being out there. Not matter your age or skill level. I’m a Mum to teen girls so I’m passionate about being able to show them that girls can send it just as well as any other, and that you can achieve what you want if you really set your mind to it (within reasonable bounds of course!).
To me, if you’re on the trail, you are my type of people, the rest is just noise.
It hasn’t always been easy. I spent a good while of my early learning stages being paranoid about how slow I am and how unskilled I am compared to others that I ride with. My progress hasn’t been linear and I’ve had to do a lot of stop and starting with my riding, particularly in the last couple of years so my progression isn’t as fast as what I would have liked. You know what I’ve really learnt through all this?…
It’s okay! It doesn’t matter! You’re the one judging you. Majority of the time everyone else is too busy focusing on what they want to achieve to be worried about judging you. And if they are? Who cares?! What matters most is the joy you get out of simply being on the trail and the feeling you get when you achieve something, no matter how big or small…
The benefit I get from doing something I love is not only a benefit to my physical health, but my mental health as well. It makes me a better human.
I’m definitely not the fastest, fittest or most skilled rider, but I am one of the fiercest advocators for females in the MTB space and I always bring the stoke. I’ve even managed to podium at one of the more technical rounds of WA Gravity Enduro – not by being the greatest, but by just being stubborn enough to stay the course and put in the work!
My goals for the next 12 months? Jumping, drops and riding lots!
Moral of the story…If you’re interested, but unsure, just give it a go! It could lead to be one of the greatest life adventures and you can meet some of the best people, and be part of an immensely supportive community. Just like I am.
