Bike / Rachel Atherton: In her own words / UCI Mountain Bike World Cup

The first UCI Mountain Bike World Cup downhill race of the season gets underway in Lourdes, France on April 29-30. British star Rachel Atherton has recorded 15 consecutive World Cup and World Championship wins in a row, including a ‘perfect season’ in 2016, but it hasn’t always been the case. Here, the Queen of downhill racing talks about her early life on two-wheels. 

When I was a young eight-year-old girl first racing BMX, I could not win a single race.

A British girl called Charlie Phillips, the sister of former world champion Liam Phillips, always beat me and I used to sing in the car on the way to races the Irish folk song To Win Just Once. So I grew up hungry for that win.

Eventually it came but I didn’t exactly plan then to win as much as I have, although winning races has always been a motivator for me since I was little, and I guess that’s important to develop that drive.
I wasn’t even aware last season I was going to equal Anne-Caroline Chausson’s record of consecutive wins until I’d actually done it. The team knew but kept it from me so I didn’t get stressed out!

It's surreal as I used to chant “Anne-Caro” in my head when I was riding – she was my absolute hero and I still get nervous talking to her.

But the biggest influences were closer to home and I pretty much owe my entire life to my brothers, Dan and Gee. I wouldn’t have started riding and racing bikes if they weren’t doing it.

When we started racing mountain bikes, Dan used to say to me “if you want to be the best you have to ride your bike outside of races and practise more” but I just wanted to race the races and then get back to school sports. 

Then Dan and Gee started to win races and I thought “I want to do that” and I got really into the racing.
Growing up with the boys was just mad, I wanted to be with them and do what they did. I had no idea how to be a girl, I wore their old clothes and rode their old bikes. 

It was just so gnarly being a 14-year-old girl totally out of her depth trying to get down the hill but there was no other way so I had to learn to ride it.

And when they started racing abroad, I missed them so much so I guess the only way to hang out with them all summer was for me to race too! 

As the big brother, Dan did everything for me: got me old bikes, taught me how to ride and told me “if you want to race World Cups you have to start wearing goggles”. But I was like “no way”, at least initially.
I think chasing anyone who is a little bit faster than you is going to bring out the best in an athlete – I don’t think it matters if that person is male or female.