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Name:
Niki Gudex
Home:
Sydney, Australia
Gig:
Mountain-Bike Racing
Gudex is the grit girl of Australian
mountain biking. Since joining the national series, in 2000,
she's finished every season but one ranked first or second
in downhill. Last year she jumped to cross-country—as
rare in cycling as it is in skiing—entered the World
Cup circuit, and placed 23rd in two of the World Cup events
that she competed in this year.
SEEN NEXT:
September 7–12, in Les Gets, France, at the 2004 World
Mountain Bike Championships.
BREAKING IN:
Once an aspiring pro snowboarder, she ditched the sport after
breaking her back in 1997. Two years later, she entered her
first bike race on a whim—and won. "I bought a bike
on Wednesday, raced on Friday, and haven't stopped."
MOONLIGHTING:
Gudex has been modeling since age 16 and has graced the pages
of Aussie editions of Vogue and InStyle. In 2003, she was
featured in the photography journal Black+White's annual issue
of Down Under sports stars in the buff. But she drew the line
when Hugh Hefner came knocking: "It took me three months
to agree to the Black+White shoot, and two seconds to turn
down Playboy."
WIN, LOSE, OR DRAW:
She has a bachelor's in creative arts and does occasional
freelance design work—a career she'll turn to when her
legs lose their kick.
SECOND OPINION:
"I've stopped trying to keep up with her," says
Grant Day, 31, a two-time Aussie mountain-cross champ. "My pride was suffering
too much."
Words: John Bradley.
Photographed by Richard Bailey / The Artist Group.
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