In Australia, a significant number of girls discontinue sports as they transition into senior school, often due to limited opportunities for advancing into professional athletics. This is particularly true in the realm of cycling, where many young athletes find few avenues to pursue their passion at a higher level. However, a new initiative in Canberra aims to address this gap. A cycling competition based in the city is focusing on creating more pathways for female cyclists, hoping to inspire and retain young talent in the sport by providing clear routes to professional riding.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00 You did so well.
00:03 Girls supporting girls.
00:05 Oh my god, I'm so happy.
00:08 This was the moment 17-year-old Emma Ochoa found out she had won her time trial at Canberra's
00:14 junior cycling tour.
00:16 It's really important to see that girls are going out there, hitting it out with the guys
00:20 because girls are just the strongest guys really.
00:24 Traditionally a male dominated sport, getting women into competitive cycling can be an up
00:29 hill battle.
00:31 It's really good to see that today it was a bunch of 20 girls in my race, whereas last
00:35 year we only had about 10.
00:36 We're starting to get Tour de France, FAM, and all of those French, all those European
00:43 women's classic races.
00:45 And while things are looking up for the sport, there's still a long road ahead.
00:49 All the rides in the morning with the club you could say, they're just all like 40-year-old
00:54 men plus, so it's a bit hard to train with the girls.
00:57 The 2023 Murdoch University study found men outnumber women in cycling 2-1.
01:03 And with most girls giving up sport between the ages of 15 and 17, programs like this
01:07 one are hoping to break down the barriers for girls in cycling by encouraging them to
01:11 set their sights on competing professionally.
01:14 It just provides an opportunity for girls to be part of the racing scene in this particular
01:19 instance.
01:20 And anyone that's involved in sport knows just how important that is.
01:24 Through general life, long-term health benefits, but also the social interaction.
01:29 It just kind of makes you feel like there is others out there who are like you, especially
01:34 because it's more a male-dominated sport.
01:36 The support...
01:37 Emma!
01:38 Yep.
01:39 Helping them to go the distance.
01:41 I'd always dreamed to go pro, but we just have to take it step by step.
01:45 Encouraging more girls and women to get on their bikes.
01:48 Yeah.
01:49 Yeah.
01:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]