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Age
24
Famous for
being Australia’s top woman mountain bike rider; currently
ranked first in cross country mountain biking and second in
downhill; being voted Australia’s Sexiest Sportswoman
2002 by Inside Sport magazine readers;
and being a full time sports model
Status
boyfriend of over four years, former Australian champion mountain
biker, Grant Day
Favourite hangs
North Wollongong beach; Bilgola beach and Bondi beaches in
Sydney
Star sign:
she’s a Cancerian
What does your daily training
regime involve?
I do about three hours a day on the bike and on the weekend,
I might do five or six hours every day. Mondays, I have a
rest day. I go to the gym twice a week at the moment because
I’m in a maintenance phase. When I’m in a strength
phase I go four times a week. I do one hour of weights on
one day and another hour of stretching on the other. My coach
emails me my program every two weeks. Yesterday I did a four
hour ride and two hours of that was solid hills. That’s
my hardest day of training.
So how much do you have to eat
to fuel your training?
Normally, I eat yoghurt, cereal and toast for breakfast with
fruit, then at midday a sandwich of salmon, cheese and salad,
maybe some chocolates and tea. For lunch I might cook up pasta
with some kind of meat and in the afternoon if I’m out
on the bike, bananas and maybe some sweet carbohydrate type
drink like Red Bull. For dinner, veges and meat. I’m
trying to change my diet to include more protein. A naturopath
told me to try it because then your body works on a different
energy system. I eat avocados and nuts for the good fats.
Do you listen to music to get
you going before a race?
I used to listen to a lot of punk music before races but now
I have changed my tactics and listen to a lot of relaxation
stuff to remain calm and focused. I find there’s a difference
between being aggressive and assertive. For cross country
racing, it’s a one and a half to two hour event. I think
punk music and aggression are too draining. It’s better
to be calm.
What’s your favourite meal
when you are cooking at home?
I like lasagne and kumera (sweet potato).
Do you ever eat junk food, sweets
or normal soft drink?
I love Lindt hazelnut chocolate balls. I like vanilla Coke,
even though I don’t like Coke, which is weird. but I
let the vanilla Coke go flat and drink it during training
sometimes.
How do you feel about being voted
Australia’s Sexiest Sportswoman?
It was a bit surreal. I think that will only sink in when
I’m 50 years old.
Do you have a problem with baring
your body for modelling shoots?
When I was younger I was far more intimidated, but now I’m
older I find I have a better sense of who I am. You know your
body helps you to win races and you appreciate it’s strengths.
When you’re modelling, it’s easy to get caught up
and think you’re not the right build, but now I can enjoy
it because I’m not hung up on the trivialities. I’ve
got the self confidence that comes with accepting who I am.
Are you getting more attention
from men these days?
Not really - I don’t really go out as much these days,
although I do get recognised when I go to get milk from the
shops. You don’t expect people to recognise you. And
at the gym, people will come up and say hi.
Who is the most inspiring person
you’ve met in your life?
My grandfather Jack, because he’s extremely intelligent
and has time for everyone and is very calm and rational. He’s
so good at telling stories as well. Anyone who meets him goes
away smiling.
What do you believe is the secret
of a successful love relationship?
Having goals that you can work towards together, and shared
experiences. Having to work for things you want makes you
appreciate them more. Grant’s great - he’s such
an awesome guy.
If you weren’t being a champion
mountain biker, what career path would you be following?
Graphic design and advertising. I love graphic design and
I love magazines. I just graduated from university with distinctions
in graphic design and new media.
How long will you keep doing your
mountain biking?
With cross country, girls are still racing in their early
30’s but downhill, the top age is more around 26. I’ll
just see how far I can get with it and take it as it comes.
What’s the most frightening
incident you’ve had while mountain biking?
I hit a tree last year at Mt Beauty while I was going pretty
fast. It was more a social ride after the National Championships.
My handlebars were wider than I was used to and they caught
a tree trunk. It basically threw me into a tree. I was in
hospital for a few days. It was over a year ago and I’m
still going to physiotherapy for it now.
If you could have anything you
wanted, what would that be?
For everyone in my family to be happy and my friends to be
happy. And I’d like to be world champion, too. I just
want to be happy and healthy - everything else is a bonus.
What’s your favourite piece
of clothing in your wardrobe?
At the moment my Sass & Bide jeans. They’re really
nice hipster ones. It’s really hard to find ones that
fit across the small of your back and they make them small.
Do you have any vices and if so,
what’s your worst?
Too much tea and chocolate. I drink four or five cups of tea
a day. I probably don’t stretch enough either. You can
never stretch enough. It makes your body more relaxed and
you don’t get as jolted because your muscles are more
relaxed. After I’ve had a massage and a stretch, I always
do better because I’m warmed up.
Do you believe in a higher power,
or we’re here on earth by chance?
I believe everything happens for a reason. Whatever you’re
given, you can deal with and move forward.
Are you into books - what are
you reading at the moment?
I used to read a lot, but I’ve just graduated from university
and I haven’t got back into it. When I was young, I used
to love the adult short stories by Roald Dahl.
And what sort of music do you
have in your CD player?
The Foo Fighter’s latest album is in there at the moment.
Profile: Bronwen Gora.
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