Becoming the best at any sport is obviously really hard. It’s not just about being the fittest, strongest or having the most skill, the mental side of it is also a massive portion of the pie. Maya Atkinson, who has won the British downhill championships twice, once in Junior and once in Youth, knows this and uses it to help train, learn new skills, and become the best she can possibly be.
She credits her parents as being a big positive influence on her mentality that helps her train and compete, she says “I’m actually quite a lazy person at heart, but without them pushing me I wouldn’t be able to be where I am at the moment.” Her parents were also the people she started mountain biking with and they have all been hooked on it since. They regularly ride together and are often traveling abroad to do so.
Maya recently moved to South Wales and is training hard and having fun on some of the best trails in the whole country. She has been loving Cwmcarn, Afan, Bike Park Wales and many of the other amazing spots.
Next year’s race season is looking to be an exciting one for Maya, with a new team and the big move up from the junior to the elite category. She will be at World Cups and EWS events competing for Team Leslie Bike Shop. Hopefully, her strong mentality and the hours spent training, many of which are out on the trails, will pay off and make it a great season of competing.
She gives a better insight into her mountain biking in this film, I hope you enjoy it.
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@maya_atkinson29Film, photos and article by Jacob Martin/Mid Nowhere Productions:
@mid_nowhere