THE VELOROOS have caused shock-waves through the sporting world as growing from a group of complete novices they have formed a team which has won national races, raised substantial amounts of money for charity and inspired thousands of athletes around the world. 

The members of the team are based in Sydney, Australia, although most are originally from other countries from around the world. When they race they are a team of four which is made up from the following seven ladies: Julie-Anne Hazlett, Di Jones, Sarah Anne Evans, Pippa Lyon, Nicole Stanners, Natasha Horne and Sarah Matthews.

In their first race, Race Across America in 2015, they won their category and broke the record for a team of four women racing. It was at this stage they began to believe they could go on to achieve and create something special and make a difference to the mindset of athletes all around the world. 

This is the story of the team which includes details of the early years and more about what they have gone on to achieve and prove to the cycling and greater sporting world. 

Tell us about how the Veloroos got together and the sporting and cycling backgrounds of the girls?

The Veloroos are a team of non-professional female endurance cyclists, passionate about riding bikes and pushing the boundaries of what you can achieve if you let go of fears, take a step outside your comfort zone, and dedicate yourself to your goal.  Most of us have backgrounds in triathlon which is how we met although a couple of the girls also have experience in endurance mountain biking.  JA, Nicole, Tash, Sarah Anne and Sarah have competed in age group world championships for various distances from sprint to full Ironman.

Most of the girls had a background in triathlon which is how most of the team members met.

How many girls are part of the team and where in the country do they come from?

There are seven girls in the team but not all of us race all the time.  The races we tend to enter are for long (extreme), endurance races and teams of four. We are all based in Sydney, Australia although we originally come from various parts of the world.

When did you realise you could really make an impact as a team and what was the first race or event you took part in?

The first race we entered as a team was Race Across America in 2015.  We won and broke the record for a four- person, female team of four.  We have always found ourselves racing alongside the male teams and we think people started to take note because of this (that and our bright pink kit).  We all have full time jobs and fund our races ourselves and we think we’ve had an impact on other “ordinary” people, particularly women to show them that you can achieve anything you want if you put your mind, heart and soul into it.  Women’s cycling is growing and we want to encourage more women to get on their bikes and not feel intimidated in a male dominated sport. 

The team consists of seven women but they race as a group of four.

What have been some of your biggest achievements since and where has the sport taken you? What have been some of the highlights?

Race Across America (RAAM) – 2015 (Winner and broke the record for a female team of four).

Race Around Ireland – 2017 (Winner and broke the record for a female team of four).

Revolve24 Adelaide – Winner of four-person team (overall). 

We’ve also had two documentaries made about us (RAAM BAM Thank you Mam which follows our Race Across America and The Veloroos- Race Around Ireland) which have been featured on various airlines, cruise liners and television channels around the world.

There have been so many highlights, we’ve met some incredible people along the way and seen the most amazing scenery.  We have also been able to  raise awareness and funds for our charities Tour de Cure and the Amy Gillett Foundation.

Long training sessions are required, especially before a race, but always provide plenty of laughs as well as the fitness levels the girls know they need to reach.

 How much do you train and how often do you train together?

When we’re training for a specific race, we try to fit in at least one long weekend ride per week together.  This is partly from a training perspective but it’s also important for camaraderie – at the end of the day, these races are intense and can be very stressful; its important that we get on well and understand each other- we’ve all become really good friends.  Some of the girls live near each other and will train with each other during the week.  We keep each other updated as to our training and we know we all have different strengths and weaknesses. 

The team admits that there is stress involved in what they do but this is far outweighed by the camaraderie they enjoy and the pleasure they get when they see all their efforts rewarded at the end of a race.

What’s it like travelling and competing as a group of girls? What is the camaraderie like within the team?

It is amazing!  We are all very different and bring different personalities to the team but we all strive for the same goals and are all extremely passionate about what we do.  Obviously there are stressful moments – endurance races aren’t easy – but you have to keep your ego in check and put the team first.  Everyone has their ups and downs from time to time but we all help each other through the tough times and continue to encourage each other.  Ultimately the fact we love the sport shines through.  We have had the most amazing opportunities and met some fascinating and very inspiring people and hopefully managed to increase awareness and availability of women’s cycling for anyone who wants to give it a shot. 

What can our readers expect from www.theveloroos.com and how important is it to you to connect with the online community of cycling enthusiasts?

Most of our following has come from word or mouth and social media therefore its extremely important to stay connected to the community.  We will use the website, Facebook and Instagram to keep followers updated on what we’re up to.

What are you currently training for and what races, events and other projects do you have lined up for 2018?

As a team we are rider leaders for Bike Ride for Brain Cancer in March 2018 (https://www.bikerideforbraincancer.com.au/) and the Orange Newcrest Challenge.

We’re also competing in the Sunshine Coast Velothon, Queensland- July 2018  (http://www.velothon.com)

Individually we’ll also do various road races and crits around Australia as well as some mountain bike racing and triathlons.

If we can find a financial sponsor, our dream is to compete in Race Around Austria very soon.