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Name:
Niki Gudex
Daily Operations:
Mountain bike athlete, modeling and graphic designer.
Striving for: Happiness,
health, wisdom and contentment.
Words of Wisdom:
Breathe and believe.
Mission:
Expression
Power is:
the pedals turning smoothly
Music is:
happiness.
Love:
the ultimate.
Favourite scent:
fresh rain falling on the ground
Favourite film:
Amelie
The Niki Gudex
Philosophy: Keep it fun on and off the bike.
Do you wear any
jewellery? What? Yes, a silver star on a strand
around my neck (which was my redesign of an existing necklace
I bought in an art gallery) and diamond lightning bolt earrings
that were a present from my dad.
What is the one
thing that annoys the hell out of you? Assumptions.
Your most prized
possession? I love my cat Pushka, he is a chocolate
burmese and acts like a dog.
Favourite song:
Heartbeats. Jose González and The Knife's versions.
If you could
change one thing about the world what would it be?
Sustainability.
It's in your
power to free humanity of one ill. Which? Greed.
What single piece
of advice that you have received so far has helped you the
most and who gave it to you? I have definitely been
lucky to meet a very interesting mix of people. My first single
piece of advice in relation to mountain biking was when I
first started riding a bike, Seth Enslow (MX icon) told me
to always look ahead and focus on the next corner, not to
get stuck on any mistakes that might have been made to get
there. He was really talking about the track but I like to
apply that interpretation to my overall life. My grandfather
was also very helpful when he once mentioned to me that there
will always be skilled people in any occupation but the secret
is to work hard and enjoy it.
What keeps you
working? My curiousity to explore the world and ideas.
To see how far I can grow as a person and inspire other people,
it is really nice when I get emails from women or young girls
who say I have inspired them in some way.
Describe the
defining moment of your career. Looking back at what
I have accomplished so far, racing at the World Championships
in both the Downhill and Cross Country events has been very
defining for me. I realize that I just love mountain biking
as a whole sport, not one particular form/discipline of it.
What is the most
interesting aspect of your job and why? The traveling
component and managing my schedule, training, email and workload.
There is a delicate balance that must constantly be observed.
What's your most
successful failure? Not being able to be in two places
at once.
What's your greatest
achievement? Being happy in my skin.
What was the
most challenging problem you faced early on and how did you
handle it? We travelled a lot when I was growing up
so I learnt to adapt to my surroundings.
When is it appropriate
to bend the rules? When heart and logic share reason.
If your house
was burning down but you had a chance to save 3 records and
3 pairs of shoes/kicks, which would they be and why?
I would save all my photos from my family and growing up.
Which historical
figure would you most like to have dinner with? Why?
Definitely a female historical figure. Because often women
have other issues such as gender to deal with, which includes
equality but also the issue of being able to have children
or not based on their career choice.
What companies
do you most admire? Companies who are motivated by
a passion to improve the world and lives of others, not purely
for monetary reasons but because they actually care about
the future for everyone.
What is the sector
or industry of the future? Health is the future, without
it we have nothing. I would like to see a more holistic and
balanced approach to the health and the environment.
What is it that
you actually do? Answer questions like this when I
am not riding my bike, traveling, eating or sleeping!
What creative
methods do you use to gain insights, identify ways to outdo
what you did yesterday, develop strategic frameworks to beat
the competition and dream up what could be possible?
I do things that make me feel happy and then the ideas come.
I was always pretty imaginative when I was young and loved
dreaming up adventures and plans for myself and my friends
when we were growing up. I think letting that wild side come
through lets the ideas flow more naturally.
What makes a
great mountain biker? There is no concrete recipe to
a great mountain biker, we are definitely a diverse and perhaps
even wild bunch. Skill, determination, flexibility, strength,
passion and dedication are all needed in very large amounts.
What is it about
Oakley that makes their shit the illest? Oakley is
a really great brand because they listen to their athletes
and respond. Their high definition optic eyewear is absolutely
the best in the world. I need my vision to be clear and protected,
no matter what the elements or conditions are like, it is
critical.
Do you feel that
your beauty has been an advantage or disadvantage in mountain
biking? Coins definitely have two sides, I want to
keep mine moving. I love to ride my bike and so I want people
to be able to see that and know that I can and I do. For me
it has been an interesting road though because I do like to
keep fluid and try not to let an exterior determine the interior.
I grew up seeing myself as a tom boy so I always found it
funny to see what other people saw. Basically we are all born
with unique skills and I just try to develop mine to the best
of my ability.
When people see
you, are they shocked when they discover that you're biking's
grit-girl that takes no shit on rocky turf? Yes actually
that does happen sometimes. But it still surprises me because
I see myself as I always have and that's absolutely normal.
I have been challenged numerous time to impromptu bike races
and it is always by a guy. I actually did a piece "FHM
versus Niki Gudex" out on the trail and that turned out
to be really fun.
How does it feel
to have been listed in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World
several years running? Does it mean anything? I have
been in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list for six
years in a row now. To have stayed there so firmly for consecutive
years is definitely flattering. It is nice to be a part of
the list although it certainly doesn't change my life. I am
happy to be on the list as an athlete and especially to put
mountain biking out there in the list. Mountain biking is
not a glamorous sport or event so it is fun to be able to
diversify sometimes.
A quote that
sticks in your mind? A gem cannot be polished without
friction.
How do you get
your most useful information? Observation and assimilation.
What do you do
for fun that has nothing to do with the world of riding or
sport? Hanging out and catching up with good friends.
Painting is also very liberating and I love exploring cities
and art galleries.
Do you speak
any languages other than English? I studied Japanese,
French and Swedish.
Who would you choose to play you in a film of your life? Keira
Knightley, Natalie Portman or Audrey Tatou. They are all very
talented women who innately have incredible depth and spirit.
They are chameleons.
What piece of
modern technology has helped most to make your life easier? My
laptop and my phone are very useful tools, for communication
on the road, for working on art and design projects and for
storing my photos/memories from the road. I love images and
I love communication of ideas.
Who have been
your heroes? My heroes are wide and varied. I am inspired
by people who live their lives as completely as they can,
full of spirit, love, compassion and strength.
What does success
mean for you? Success is being able to smile when you
wake up and smile when you go to sleep.
What’s the
meaning of life? I love this question. This is one
of the reasons I ride my bike.
Where do you
want to be in 5 years from now? Happy and healthy.
What is the most
valuable lesson you have learnt the hard way? Listen
to my heart. Trust my instinct. Incredibly important.
What would you
like your parting words to be? Keep it fun.
Photographer: Lee
Vincent Grubb.
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