Home town: Canberra, Australia
Born: Bariloche, Argentina in 1979
Currently living: Kyoto, Japan
Team: Rockstar Racing
Club: CORC
Likes: Being immature and hanging out with fun, genuine and enthusiastic people.
Why mountain biking: It’s a sport with various demands and something you can never perfect. There’s always something to learn and MTBers are generally great people to be around.
Worst part: Getting injured or sick when you’re keen to ride.
Worst career moment: Falling ill for 6 years and having to wait to get back into riding and racing.
Favorite food: Everything basically, but mainly spicy food like Thai, Vietnamese and Indian…
Favorite reading: Non-fiction, like biographies of interesting people.
Favorite music: I like variety, like soundtracks. I’ve also been getting into dance and heavier stuff.
Best idea of having good time: Having house parties with all the people I like, and acting extra stupid without feeling bad or getting hassled by bouncers!
Most respected mountain bike riders: Anyone who steps on the start line and isn’t scared to have a go and hurt a bit, regardless of how fast they go. I see a lot of people just commuting or riding for fitness on the streets on crappy bikes – that’s often more inspiring than watching people race.
Favorite riding: Anything tricky/technical, up or down.
Advice to beginners: Especially for young kids – ride for your own good reasons, not for other people’s motivations. Find that point at which you’re challenged, but not so far that you hate going out there. For anyone – don’t expect to be good right away. Not many people are experts without working hard to get there.
Typical Training week: Riding with a variety of people, learning from them and having good chats, except when I’m trying to smash myself!