Commonwealth Games | Gold Coast 2018
Being selected into the 2018 Commonwealth Games team was an achievement in itself for me. A huge milestone that I had no idea was even on the cards until about 8 weeks out from race day.
Preparation for the event went reasonably smoothly, and I was extremely lucky to have such a welcoming team of riders and support staff to help me transition into this environment.
As my key event was the Individual Pursuit, I was able to solely focus and make sure my process was perfect for my individual needs. I executed my ride almost perfectly, and came across the line in a time that was 5 seconds faster than my original goal! I honestly had no words, and was overcome with feelings of pride and joy.
The race made me incredibly excited for my potential for Tokyo Olympics and also confirmed with me that with a further two years of hard work and progression under my belt... the world stage will be an exciting place to call a familiar environment. I showed myself what I am capable of and intend to chase down selection and race competitively at the 2020 Olympics.
Moving into the village for a week after racing was another amazing experience. Being surrounded by people of so many different countries, races, and sporting codes was eye opening in many ways. Standing next to the womens’ basketball team, I remember feeling so small and insignificant. Am I really strong at all? Looking at all the different body types of women athletes there was truly inspiring!
Training Update
I recently got confirmation of my success in being carded for this year, which means I am now fully supported in services such as medical, strength and conditioning and sport psychology from High Performance Sport NZ. This is amazing news for me, and something I have been striving towards for many years.
Alongside this great news, I also have been confirmed in the 7 rider women’s endurance team that will be travelling to Europe, for two months on the 11th June. This (behind my performance at Comm games) would have to be a highlight of my year so far, as racing both on the road, and outdoor tracks with the European girls, is going provide me with a lot of good racing experience, that will only make me stronger as a rider.
Cambridge Cycling Festival
Shortly after arriving home, the annual Cambridge Cycling Festival was held. This is one of my favourite community events of the year, as the categories range from the little three-year-olds riding a short circuit around the main street, to Olympic medallists racing for the top criterium spot.
This year I was privileged to ride alongside some speedy team mates, in the Craigs Investment Partners team for the battle of the businesses team relay.
This was such great fun, and an awesome new category in 2018! I encourage you all to be part of this in 2019.
Ellesse's World
Balancing University, and sporting life is proving a challenge, but with the support of individuals such a Daniella (Manager), and the Athlete Life Advisors within HPSNZ it is actually proving very manageable!
I’m thoroughly enjoying studying Psychology, and am excited for semester two of my first year.
