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For many riders a broken pedal is grief.
For Wahroonga’s Niki Gudex it was the start of a promising
career that could take her to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Three years ago Gudex was looking to get
fit after a serious back injury put a premature end to her
snowboarding aspirations. So she bought a bike, went for a
ride but broke down almost instantly, forcing the beautiful
24-year-old model to find a bike shop and repair the pedal.
Gudex takes up the story that got her into downhill and cross-country
bike racing. “It was a freak thing,” she said. “I
broke a pedal and ended up in a bike shop looking to repair
it. They asked me if I raced. I said I didn’t and that’s
how I got into it. It was just a chain of events.”
Today, Gudex, who was recently named Inside
Sport magazine’s Sexiest Sportswoman in Australia, is
preparing for the Australian National Series in September
where she will compete in both the downhill and cross-country
events. Last year the final year Wollongong University graphics
design student won the downhill component. But now she has
a different aim. “I’m training towards Athens, that’s
my goal,” Gudex said. “It’s definitely a long
term goal for me.” But before she can get to Greece,
Gudex has to cope with the adulation that comes with her “sexiest
sportswoman” tag. It’s a title the former St Ives
High School student won after out-polling Olympians Tatiana
Grigorieva, Giaan Rooney, Cathy Freeman, Australian soccer
player Amy Taylor and winter Olympian Alisa Camplin. “It’s
a compliment to be given an award like that,” Gudex said.
“When you are racing you are covered in mud and how you
look is the last thing on your mind. But I like modelling,
it’s fun. It’s good to keep yourself challenged.
I like to have a mixture of these things going on.”
Growing up in suburban Wahroonga, Gudex
said she didn’t get a chance to do any bike riding. “I
wish,” she said when asked if she ever rode a BMX as
a kid. There wasn’t that many girls riding bikes.”
Despite her late introduction to the sport, Gudex competed
at last year’s World Championships in Colorado where
she finished 21st and now has her sights set on the North
American circuit next April, before the World Cup events start
in May.
Last June Gudex won the Wollongong University
Blue Award and the University’s Sportsperson of the Year
Award. She is now hoping to become a full-time professional
rider, but to do so needs financial support. Anyone who can
help can log onto her website at www.nikigudex.com.
Profile: Jason Avedissian.
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