Catching up with Sian Ahern - Interview and Video

Cycling has been the most amazing thing to come into my life. It has taken me to so many amazing places and let me see parts of Australia that I wouldn’t have had the chance to see without it. Now, it will be taking me around the world, which I know will be absolutely amazing. The mountain biking community has made me the person that I am today. Before I competed, I had no aspirations and I had nothing interesting in my life, but as soon as I found the love for riding, it quickly changed.

Since I starting riding a year and a half ago, my family has adapted to the lifestyle of being on the road every week, and accepted that my brother and I will be doing it for a long time to come! My parents have had the largest impact in helping my brother and I to pursue our dreams. Mum and Dad spend countless hours shuttling us in the mountains so that we can practice and progress our riding. They have dedicated so much time, money and commitment to this sport for us and it is certainly showing in our results!

I see myself making a career out of this in the future. To achieve this I am putting in every bit of effort possible in the early days to make it a reality. I stick by the quote, “The more it hurts now, the less it will hurt later” because it shows from every other racer. The training hurts, and the results shine - but without the training, those results aren't possible. It keeps me going strong while I’m training, to push through the hurt and to push through any pain. - Sian Ahern


Who are you?
I'm Sian A'Hern, 17 years old from Canberra, Australia. I race Downhill as a priority, and ride many other forms of bikes as well. My goal is to have as much fun as I can at races, enjoying myself while still putting down solid results.



How long have you been racing bikes?
I have been riding for one and half years now. It isn't a very long time at all but I have managed to pick it up very quickly and been trying really hard to improve to the point where I am winning which is where I want to be.


Why do you ride?
I ride purely because I love bikes. Every time I ride my bike I have so much fun. I'm having so much fun lately and I believe that if I'm not having fun, then I've lost my passion and motivation and it won't seem as important to me, so I strive to always put fun first when on my bikes. Bikes haven't just become a hobby to me, they have become my lifestyle, and I wouldn't want to be spending my life doing anything else.



What have you achieved in your career?
I believe I have achieved a lot in this past year that I have been riding. I have become National Champion in Junior Women, I have become Australian Junior Female Downhill Mountain Biker of the year, I have raced my first World Cup which I won, and I have been selected to represent my country in World Championships later in the year!


Who do you ride for?
I have recently signed a new deal with Shimano Australia as the main supporter, along with my brother Kye. We are proudly supported by Norco Bicycles Australia, Ion Australia, Pushys Fyshwick, Shimano Australia and Thredbo MTB.



What are your goals for the future?
I have many aspirations planned for the future, my number one goal is to become Junior World Champion this year at Val Di Sole, Italy. My other major goals between now and then are to achieve a top 5 result at every other World Cup I am attending this year. In the future, my plan is to be consistently achieving top 10 results in the Elite Women's category on the world stage.



Sponsors: Shimano Australia, Norco Bicycles Australia, Ion Australia, Thredbo MTB, and Pushys Fyshwick
Instagram: @sianahern @mattstaggsvisuals

---

MENTIONS: @norcobicycles / @MattStaggs / @shimano / @ThredboResort

---