For a 43-year-old, Rosie Hurt has dabbled in so many sports – CrossFit, surfboat rowing, Aussie Rules, soccer, water skiing – and reckons she’s finally found her thing. Cycling’s the sport where all her strengths have come together in her favour.
She’s nuts for stats, clever with how the body works (used to be a PT), and has a foodie’s eye for fuelling right. With intense training, a few amazing mentors, Rosie’s quickly making a name for herself.
“I kinda wish I’d found mountain biking earlier,” she laughed. “It feels like I’ve tried everything and now, at 43, I’m finally good at something.”
Good might be an understatement. In just three of years of riding, Rosie has gone from local newbie to rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in the masters’ scene – riders who’ve spent years at the elite level.
Many of them probably line up expecting to walk away with a clean win, but Rosie’s been the rookie ripping through the pack.
“I have been racing a while in the mountain biking scene, but what’s kind of fun is that no one really knows me in road racing,” she said.
Across both disciplines – mountain biking and road – Rosie has been charging hard.
She lives in Nelligen and splits her time between Batemans Bay and Canberra. Her bikes are basically part of her car – riding most days after work. If you’re on Strava, you’ve probably seen her name at the top of the leaderboard – Queen of the Mountain on Mogo Trails and pretty much everywhere else.
On Friday 19 September, Rosie lined up for the Australian National Road Race, crossing the line in 3rd. Two days later, she backed it up with a win in the National Crit Championship – a chaotic race on a tight 1000m circuit where positioning is everything.
“I was absolutely shitting bricks on the start line…”
“I was absolutely shitting bricks on the start line,” Rosie admitted.
“When you’re racing so close to other people at high speeds you’re putting a lot of trust in their abilities. Someone might take a corner funny or tap a wheel and you all go down like dominoes.”
Rosie surprised herself. The crit eventually came down to Fiona Morris – the rider who outsprinted her in the road race.
“I knew she was strong, so I had to save as much energy as I could,” Rosie said.
On the last lap, Fiona pushed hard at the front breaking the wind. Rosie tucked in the middle of the pack to conserve energy before creeping up her side. With 100 metres to go, Rosie launched her sprint – catching Fiona by surprise and taking the win.
Two years ago, Rosie raced that same crit and went down hard in a crash that shook her confidence.
“The reason I came back was to face my fear, not to win,” she said.
After a couple of crashes and a concussion, she’d turned back to mountain biking.
“The dirt is a lot softer, and crit racing is so risky,” Rosie said.
“In mountain biking, it’s just you to worry about. Crit racing – it’s everyone around you … you’re trusting every rider to make the right decisions. And honestly, lycra is not what you want to hit the ground in. Of all the sportswear out there, road gear’s the worst for crashing.”
It was a mental game Rosie won – and training paid off too. With no time to rest, the following weekend Rosie jumped back on her mountain bike for the NSW Titles XCO event. She said the circumstances weren’t ideal and felt for her opponent.
“The woman I was racing against had her bike stolen overnight, so she couldn’t race the next day.”
“The woman I was racing against had her bike stolen overnight, so she couldn’t race the next day. I really felt for her – no one deserves that,” Rosie said.
While the masters’ scene is small, Rosie says the future of women’s mountain biking is bright.
“The young girls are absolutely ripping. It’s awesome to have Mogo Trails keeping them riding locally, and events like Sea Otter give them new racing experiences. A lot of the top riders head overseas, so it’s exciting to see them developing right here.”
So what makes a good athlete, according to Rosie?
“It’s not just talent – it’s consistency. It’s showing up even when it’s hard. That’s what gets you through the nerves, the crashes, the setbacks.”
Rosie proves it’s never too late to find your sport and chase your goals. After her win at nationals, she’s now qualified to race at the World Championships, conveniently being held in Lorne on October 19. Good luck, Rosie!
