SALLY BIGHAM started mountain biking in 2006 and in 2009 joined Topeak-Ergon Racing, a German based professional racing team. Since 2010 she has taken a sabbatical from her academic career and is now a full time rider.

She narrowly missed out on a world title in 2013 taking a silver medal to nine times World Champion Gunn Rita. She also holds her first ever race, ‘Sleepless in the Saddle’, a 24-hour biking marathon, as another of her greatest achievements.

Sally took time out of her busy schedule to talk to us about her career on the saddle and how her dedication to the sport has recently seen her undergo invasive surgery.

To find out more about what Sally has been getting up to go to www.sallybigham.com or 

www.facebook.com/bighamsally.

When did you first get involved in mountain biking?

Cycling didn’t feature in my early sporting years – I was a late starter. As a child I loved horses and during my university years (eight years in total!) running was my addiction, but my body isn’t really suited to running and I was frequently injured. In 2006 I picked up mountain biking, which almost immediately took over my life! I don’t do anything in half measures.

Who has been your greatest influence or inspiration?

My team: Topeak Ergon Racing Team. I joined them in 2009 when I was really inexperienced. Working together with them has allowed me to develop and progress gradually and at a speed that suited me. Some teams frequently change riders, but our team has pretty much stayed the same since the beginning.

My teammates are so professional and from the beginning I’ve been able to share ideas and learn.
I’d say that Alban Lakata has been a pretty big influence and a great source of inspiration; he’s an incredibly talented, committed and experienced rider.

When did you first realise you excelled at mountain bike racing and that it could become more than just a hobby?

Winning my first National title in 2008 gave me a lot of confidence but it wasn’t until I won my first medal at the European Championships in 2011 that I genuinely started to believe that I could make it as a pro.

What is it like getting the opportunity to turn your hobby into your job?

I’m so unbelievably lucky but at the same time I’ve worked incredibly hard. I’m lucky to have such an amazing team for sure, however without 100 per cent dedication and total commitment I wouldn’t have been successful enough to make a career out of it.

People often say to me that they’d love to have my life, but honestly I’m not sure many people could actually do it. It’s not easy. We live more or less on the road, I don’t have much time with family and friends, and when you ‘have to ride’ it’s very different to when you ‘want to ride’. Just like any job there are days that are tough and its not always fun! When your income depends upon sporting performance then it can feel pretty intense and it can be easy to lose sight of why you starting cycling in the first place.

Nevertheless, I love what I do. I’m honoured to be part of Topeak Ergon Racing Team and I wouldn’t change it for a minute!

You have been very successful, what was your first competitive event and how did you get on?

My first race was ‘Sleepless in the Saddle’ in 2007 – it was a 24-hour race and I teamed up with a running friend. I had no idea about bikes or racing! I turned up with Liquorice Allsorts for my race nutrition and a night light with a battery life of two hours! I had no idea that mud tyres existed and I raced in my running trainers!

Which of your mountain biking achievements are most proud of?

Narrowly missing out on the World Title in 2013 – but finishing with a silver medal against cycling legend Gunn-Rita (nine times World Champion) is not such a difficult pill to swallow!

Do you have a strict training regime and diet to maintain the fitness levels required for racing?

I work together with my fitness coach to plan my season and each day. I use an SRM power meter and train each week according to my different power zones. Every day we analyse my performance and use this to plan the next training session.

As far as diet is concerned then I generally eat the same all year. I love to eat a healthy diet anyway, so that comes easily to me. Lean meats, and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables feature everyday, but also sweet treats too – I love dark chocolate and cakes too! I have a gluten intolerance but it is so easy to eat gluten free now, much easier than it was eight years ago!

Does mountain bike racing taken its toll on you physically?

Absolutely, training on the road is much easier and that’s actually why I train a lot on the road – it would be too exhausting to train everyday off road. Mountain biking is an all over body workout, even on the downhills you’re working hard both

muscularly and cardiovascularly.

What does mountain biking mean to you and how has it helped you develop as a person?

Last September I was told that I either had to stop cycling or have invasive surgery to treat a vascular disease called iliac endofibrosis. It took me four days to decide that giving up cycling forever wasn’t an option. I didn’t want to have surgery but I had no choice; I love cycling, it’s so ingrained in my identity that I wouldn’t be me without it! The surgeons made two large incisions in my abdomen and groin to access the artery, they removed the damaged area and stitched on a bovine patch – I was in theatre and recovery for eight hours. It was pretty major surgery. I think this shows what cycling means to me!

What do you like to do to relax when you aren’t competing?

I love eating, so when I’m not cycling I like to cook or go out for food. Normally, I always go for coffee and cake after training – that’s one thing I don’t like to miss!

On rest days or easy days I usually do yoga and I like to swim too. During my holidays at the end of the season I like to windsurf and surf – watersports became part of my pre-cycling life.

What are your plans for the rest of 2015 and beyond?

Since my surgery I’m looking forward to being able to race at my full potential again. Last year was hard for me because the arterial disease limited blood flow to my left leg, which meant that I couldn’t race hard, instead I always had to back off and not ride full gas. Now I have two fully functioning legs again, so I’m excited.

Thanks go to my team Topeak Ergon Racing Team www.facebook.com/teamtopeakergon