Sunshine Coast athlete Gracey Hemstreet made a historic achievement on Feb. 7 and 8 when she won the Red Bull Hardline in Tasmania and was the only woman to complete the course.
At 20 years old, Hemstreet is a veteran of the Red Bull Hardline event, last year she attended the race in Wales and was the first ever female competitor to complete the course, winning the event and being named Rider of the Week.
Eva Wyper of Norco Bicycles, the race division team Hemstreet is on, explained this year the event officially included a women's podium and prize money, which Hemstreet once again took home.
“She's really paving the road for women in the sport and at events like Hardline,” said Wyper.
The Red Bull Hardline is toted as “The world's Toughest Mountain Bike race” and the course lives up to the reputation, Wyper said the freeride downhill event is by invitation only, due to the difficulty of the course, which features obstacles such as “massive” 85-foot creek jumps.
“The goal of events, like Hardline, is to really push the boundaries of the sport by bringing the world's best riders to something like this because the features are so challenging.
“If I'm not mistaken, they have to go 75 kilometres an hour to clear that jump, and she just did it over and over again,” she said.
While Hemstreet was not the only woman to compete at the event, she was the only woman to complete the course. Wyper explained athletes had three days to familiarize themselves and practice the course before seating and finals began and during that time several riders would opt out for several reasons including crashes or comfort levels.
Wyper said Hemstreet's performance was turning the heads of spectators and fellow competitors alike.
“It's very inspirational, honestly, and also nice to hear from all the other pro athletes speaking about her, because even they, see her really paving that road, and they admire that confidence as well because it is absolutely impressive.”
On Norco Race Division’s Instagram, they wrote, “Gracey was the only woman in finals, after a stylish and casual lap down the course, Gracey found herself on the top step alongside BC ripper @jacksongoldstone. What a sick one this week was!”
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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