Early Stages
My father exposed me to cycling at a very young age. He taught me how to ride and took me to bike parks and local trails at the University of Cape Town (UCT) cross-country (XC) course and on Table Mountain. My favourite ride would always be going up to Deadman's Tree and then going to the King's Blockhouse and then taking the very difficult descent back to UCT. This was the kind of riding I enjoyed in 2018 to 2019. Before then, I would ride the greenbelt in Constantia and Kirstenbosch. I didn't do much racing besides the Cape Argus which I did every year since I was two years old.
2017-2018
So I started mountain biking properly at 8 years old in 2017 and I did the Cape Argus for Juniors and a Spur Steak Ranches race or two. When I turned 9, I entered into all the races for the Spur series and even did the Western Province XC and XCM races. I found these races to be very difficult at the time. I would count myself lucky if I came inside the top 10.
2019
When I turned 10 and with a year of proper racing under my belt, I started off the season strong with consistent top 5 results in the Western Cape (WC) Province XC and even getting a third and a second place making me eligible for Western Province and Western Cape (WC) Colours. After that, I managed consistent top 10s in the less technical Spur series. I also racked up consistent results at the WC XCM series and got a crucial third place at the XCM Champs, again making me eligible for WC colours. In November of 2019, I officially obtained WC colours in two disciplines which was a great way to end the season.
2020
When covid struck, my racing program came to a sudden halt with a few races here and there but I did not participate for a whole year.
2021
In early 2021, I did one race in Rhebokskloof where I ended somewhere in the top 20. All I remember is that I was out of shape and couldn't compete with guys which I was consistently beating two years prior. After moving to Ireland, I started off small just doing the Connacht XC series which was in the latter part of the year. I won all three races including the championship.
2022
I started off the season with the Biking Blitz series. I had a very good season leaving with; one win, two-second places and a third place. With newfound confidence I started the National Point Series (NPS) where I quickly realised that the Blitz were mere warm-up races and the best of the best were at the NPS. I had a rough season where my best result was 5th so a very good first year. This ended my season.
2023
This year was a really rough year for me. I started the year with no training during the winter and I got bells-palsy a week after my birthday. I started off the Blitz series weaker than ever but I worked hard this time. I was training properly and I finally got my first Blitz win in Derroura. I learnt a lot this Blitz season and I left with 2 wins and a second. At the same time, the Connacht XC series was underway and I won every race. Now it was time for the NPS, I always underestimate the NPS and this year was no different. I started off with a 5th place considering the calibre of the field I was up against this was very good but it all went downhill from there. I had a chest infection before the second race I thought I was fine and did the race anyway but I couldn't hold anyone's wheel and ended up 8th place which was devastating to me. I did well at Killarney getting 6th. Glencree really highlighted my lack of technical endurance so I ended up with another devastating 7th place. This XC season was jam-packed with lessons that I am forever grateful for, can't wait till next year! Did cyclocross for the first time and the first half went really well and I struggled as it colder and the courses more demanding. I became CX Connacht Champ and came 8th overall in National Series. I also competed in the UCI cx world cup in Dublin which i did horrible. but the experience was fun.
2024
My year kicked off with the Bog Trials, the Biking Blitz, and the Connacht XCO Series. In the Bog Trials, I raced alongside the adults and performed well, securing a win and a top-five finish. The Biking Blitz, however, didn’t go according to plan. I snapped two chains and even got lost on one of the courses. Despite that, I managed to pull off two wins and two second-place finishes, which was enough to clinch the overall title. The Connacht XCO Series went much more smoothly. I won every race, consistently catching up with the adult riders even though I started minutes behind. I secured the overall title, and for next year, I plan to move up to the Elite category to gain more race time and face tougher competition.
Next up was the Rás na nÓg, one of the most important races of my season. Unfortunately, I snapped another chain in Stage 1, which had a devastating effect on my overall standing. In Stage 2, I managed a 10th-place finish, which I was quite pleased with. Stage 3 reminded me that sprinting isn’t my strong suit—I ended up 18th in a mass sprint finish. I narrowly missed out on a top-three spot in the U15 category, which was frustrating because without that snapped chain, I’d have had enough points to make the podium. After that came the Cycling Connacht Spring League, which proved to be a major learning experience. I secured three wins—one from a breakaway, one in a time trial, and the final one with a late attack inside the last 5 km. I was a strong contender for the yellow jersey but bottled it due to poor race tactics and decision-making.
Despite winning the most races, I finished third overall. I’m still happy with the result, though, as I now know what strategies work and what don’t. Alongside this, the XC NPS series got underway, and it went brilliantly! I earned three fifth-place finishes and a seventh, even with some bad luck and courses that didn’t suit me. I finished fourth overall, which I was really pleased about. Back on the road, I raced in the Sliabh Luachra Classic, but unfortunately, I fell ill that weekend and had a poor performance, finishing 11th.
The bad news didn’t stop there. While recovering on Monday, I was hit with Bell’s Palsy again. That really broke me. I had planned a training camp in the Pyrenees to tackle some iconic climbs, but it turned into more of a hiking trip instead. Once I returned home, I gradually got back to training and competed in the final races of the Galway Summer League. I came agonisingly close to winning but was caught in the final 200 metres. I also took part in the cyclocross season, although my fitness had dropped compared to earlier in the year. Alongside my cycling I had started to take my academics to the next level. I started being fascinated by a subject I wasn't particularly fond of being mathematics. I had I wrapped up my CX campaign at the Connacht Championships, where I finished third in the Elite race and was the first junior and U16 rider across the line. That concluded my cycling year. It was certainly eventful, filled with memorable wins and a fair share of setbacks, but I’ve learned a lot and am excited for what’s to come.