Gravity Girls take on WEMBO World Solo 24 hour MTB championships
Alison Dermody, Gabrielle Todd, Susie Green and Alice Marsh
28th - 29th September 2024
Last month two of our Gravity Girls, Susie Green and Gabrielle Todd, competed in the 2024 WEMBO World Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike Championships at Stromlo Forest Park. 100 riders from around the world congregated in Canberra to compete for the title of world solo 24-hour champion.
The course was a 10.9 km loop with approximately 6 km of climbing (with an elevation gain of nearly 300 m) followed by 5 km of fast, flowy descent. The aim of 24-hour mountain bike racing is to complete as many laps as possible in a 24-hour period.
Both girls did an amazing job, pushing themselves well outside of their comfort zones and riding some huge kilometres and elevation! They have both shared some of their thoughts on the event.
Susie:
“What an incredible experience! Without a doubt, this was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I am hugely grateful for the opportunity to compete with athletes of the highest calibre, and I’m also feeling stoked how all the hard work that I put in over the months (and years) leading up to it came together at this one weekend. I went into the event carrying the remnants of a virus, and I had to dig very deep and draw on every ounce of grit and resilience to keep riding and complete the event, but all the training in the lead up meant I was still in great physical shape, and I did it!”
“The course was spectacular and challenging, with amazing views from the top of the hill over Canberra and surrounds, some fun single track and moderately technical sections. While very flowy and fun, the descent was almost more difficult than the climb, with very little opportunity to rest.”
“24-hour racing is taxing on the body! My back was hurting from reasonably early in the race, my hands and arms had to work very hard on the descents and it was tough to digest enough carbohydrates, with my stomach becoming more sensitive through the race. I burnt nearly 12,000 calories in the race! General fatigue and lack of sleep was also very challenging for me this time. A 10-minute power nap at around 2.30 am made the world of difference though, and was enough to revive me sufficiently to get through the rest of the night and I was able to achieve my goal of riding for longer and further than I had ever done before.”
“We were so fortunate to have the absolute best support crew there with us, with fellow Gravity Girls Alice Marsh and Alison Dermody making the trip to Canberra and staying up all night to help us with pretty much everything, from food, drinks, bike stuff, light charging, clothing, massages, keeping us awake, and being the most amazing moral support. It was also fantastic to share this experience with my good mate Gaby, who absolutely killed it! It is awesome what 4 MTB chicks from SA can achieve as a team and I feel incredibly grateful and privileged to be a part of this community.”
I really hope that other Gravity Girls can be inspired to push themselves to try something different, challenging or new, and know that you have a whole community of riders who have got your back and can support you!”
Susie on twilight.
Gaby:
“For me, the WEMBO event was an opportunity to experience more of the aspects of mountain biking, and sport in general, that I love most – riding cross country trails, being fit and healthy, and sharing a journey and new incremental but achievable goal with fantastic friends. My goal for WEMBO was to see how long that I could ride for over a 24-hr period. Training and preparing for the race involved a lot of hard work and I was hoping that the event would have a supportive and encouraging atmosphere - and it definitely delivered!
Riders of all levels of ability shared encouraging words with each other out on the course, and it was amazing to share the trails with the elite riders. I was expecting to feel a whole new level of pain and suffering during the race but fortunately this didn’t eventuate for me. I felt surprisingly good and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, which made the achievement so much more satisfying and rewarding. I’m grateful for the support of my family (who did many of the gym sessions and training rides with me), that I was able to share another epic adventure and achievement with my good friend and GG legend Susie, and that two other amazing friends, Alison and Alice, travelled to Canberra to selflessly stay up all night to help and support us with our personal goals.
Competing at WEMBO was made possible through a long series of “next times” that gradually improved my fitness and riding skills over many years. WEMBO has been my favourite event so far and I’m looking forward to my next “next time”. My advice to others who are considering doing something new and/or outside your comfort zone is to set an incremental but achievable goal that enables you to do more of what you like with great people. It’ll make the experience more enjoyable, fun, and rewarding.”
Gaby nearing the top of the ascent.
RESULTS:
Susie rode through the night and completed 24 laps, placing her 3rd in the world 50-54 age group, 2nd in the Australian 50-59 age group, and 9th female overall.
Gaby rode for 17.5 hours and completed 17 laps, placing her 4th in the world in the very competitive 45-49 age group, 4th in the Australian 40-49 age group and 16th female overall.
