It all started back in May 2005. I had finished my university degree and was seeking pastures new and previously unexplored.  A work colleague organised a mountain bike outing at Glentress Forest – I’m slightly embarrassed now to admit this but I didn’t even know what Glentress was, I just smiled and agreed to go.  Anyway, in order to cut a longish story short that day quite literally changed my life: I found mountain biking and I loved it.  

From there things started to snowball. I bought a bike and would travel for hours every weekend just to go and play on it.  2006 saw me enter my first competitive season and that truly marked the start of the epic journey.  Shortly after that season, things started to get more serious.

In 2009 I endured one of my toughest races to date, the British championships at Innerleithen.  The course was savage, some of the toughest climbing you could experience coupled together with one of the most amazingly hard descents.  I had my ups and downs out there. My cleat snapped off my shoe so I was left to descend one lap one-footed, to this day I’m still not sure how I survived. Eventually I managed to borrow a shoe that was two sizes too big – that kept things interesting. I have a big smile on my face now while writing this but I can assure you it wasn’t like that on the day.  I finished up 8th in the race and I was stoked. That race was the platform; it gave me enough UCI point to compete in the World Cups in 2010. That race everything changed.

I can still clearly remember the day I logged onto my PC to find out the UCI had released the venues and dates for the 2010 World Cup season. Dalby Forest had been successful in its bid and it was going to host the first race of the season, it felt pretty amazing that my first experience of a World Cup would be on home soil. 

The lead up to the race was a bit of a blur, my sister Kerry (she’s my number one race support) and I travelled down on the Thursday so I could get plenty of practice in before race day.  I had raced at Dalby the previous year in a round of the British cross country series and was delighted to see that they had continued to build and develop the course, creating even more technical descents and opting to put in proper chicken routes that added a substantial amount of time – thank you course designers.

The atmosphere at the event village was electric and I totally loved being there. I always remember Kerry turning to me at one point asking if I was ok because I wasn’t the bag of nerves that she was expecting, instead I was just hyper I was going to race with the best in the world and that just felt special.

On the Friday night before the XC race I took part in a Pro Sprint Eliminator that was held in Pickering town centre.  A short 2 minute course had been created that encompassed a grave yard, steps, a sketchy gravel section through someone’s back yard and a few little kicking hills.  The whole town got behind the event and came out to watch.  First up was the individual time trial, in order to progress you were required to set a time in the top 16.  I got through that stage, the next stage saw four riders race the same narrow circuit together, there were crashes galore and unfortunately I didn’t progress any further.  It was amazing and I was buzzing, needless to say I didn’t get much sleep that night.

Sunday morning arrived in a flash and before I knew it I was kitted up, warmed up and waiting on the start line.  I was gridded on the second-to-last row and I couldn’t even see that start line, I felt the nerves now and when I looked down at my Garmin my heart rate was well over 120, I was ready.

One minute to go signs was held up and everyone in front started to move closer together, by the time 30 seconds to go signs were held up I literally could not move anywhere because I was penned into the smallest of spaces by riders and bikes.  The gun went and it felt like an eternity before I was able to start moving, it was probably only a few seconds.

The start was carnage. 95 riders jostling for positions, full-on sprinting with bikes and bodies flying everywhere.  It wasn’t long until the course narrowed and a massive bottleneck formed, it was pretty heart breaking I couldn’t move anywhere and I was just watching the riders in front ride off into the distance.  Eventually I managed to muscle my way through and get pedalling again.  The pace didn’t ease at all while I was out there racing; it certainly was the next level up.  I raced my socks off for an hour and a half before finishing in 81st place. The podium read Irina Kalentieva, Willow Koerber, Katerina Nash, Georgia Gould and Julie Bresset.  The crowd out on the circuit were amazing they really got behind all the Brits.

I have been so fortunate in the last few years meeting so many special people who have really helped and directed me into the heart of the mountain biking community, without that help and support I never would have achieved what I have so far. The last few years have been a great adventure, my body is now laden with scars each which tell their own biking stories and still make my mum shake her head at me in that disapproving way, but it sure has been fun. 2011 is going to be massive, I can’t wait!

A big thanks to Kerry for help continued support every year I would be lost without ya sis.  G for getting me in the shape to do the damage that I do, while also having to contend with all my crazy training ideas. I’ve got loads for this winter already.  Emma, Tracy and the whole team at the Hub in the Forest for their continued support over the last few seasons making sure that I start every race on a bike in tip top performance.  Ian Linton (www.ianlinton.com) for providing the race photos from Dalby.  Squirt (www.in2dust.co.uk) for keeping lube on my chain and protecting the environment at the same time.  A big thanks also to Luvians, BLOC and Maxxis.

Last but by no means least all my family and friends who accepted that I will miss most things or be incredibly late because I found a sweet bit of trial and never choose to hold that against me.