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"Ten top stars who are pushing boundaries
and redefining their sports, sound off on competition, fame
and what's playing on their headphones.
On the Edge:
At 26, Sydneysider Niki Gudex has made the most of her 5 years
in mountain biking, forging ahead in the fields of downhill
and cross country to the point where she has a follow-the-sun
lifestyle. She spends summer in Australia, and then
in winter heads to the Northern Hemisphere to race the World
Cup and NORBA (American National Series) MTB races.
Gudex spent July in Colorado, busy with Altitude training,
after a quick trip to New Mexico. Life is tough.
The Payoff:
Gudex's silver medal in cross country during this year's National
MTB Championships. The wins are being noticed.
Type "niki" into Google, and you'll soon notice
that Gudex's www.nikigudex.com will pop up third on the list.
"My site gets a lot of traffic," she admits.
"It actually used to rank first on Google. It was
always a battle with Niki Lauda Airlines for the first Google
spot."
Breaking The
Rules: A top spot on Google doesn't come from
blood and sweat alone. Success in elite sport may be
all about commitment, but Gudex prefers to multi-skill.
After all, if you have the talents as a graphic designer,
why not use them? Ditto if you look good enough to be
a swimsuit model. Gudex's looks have helped land her
ads and editorial spreads in publications as diverse as style
bible Vogue and British men's magazine Maxim. "I
do some modelling between my racing commitments, but racing
and training definitely come first," she says.
"The last job I did was a shoot in Brampton Island
up North. It was fun; I went snorkelling in my spare
time."
Career High:
World Championships 2003 in Switzerland. "It's
always cool to represent your country", Gudex offers
[There were] amazing landscapes, and the Swiss are so passionate
about cycling. When you're racing there are about 50,000
people cheering around the course. It definitely give
you a little something extra for those steep climbs."
Despite her careers highs so far, the best is yet to come
for Gudex. The cyclist now has her sights firmly set
on next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Playlist:
On her MP3 player: Coldplay, U2, Nikola Sarcevic, Death Cab
For Cutie, Gwen Stefani, Foo Fighters, AFI and 28 Days.
Words: Allen St. John.
Photographed by Chris O'Connell.
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