About Me

Stats

DOB:  20/01/1988
Height: 169cm
Weight: 66kg
From: Sydney, New South Wales
Resides: Adelaide, South Australia
Home Club: St George CC
Institutes: New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS); Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)
Professional Teams: Team Jayco (2009-2011); Team Toshiba (2008-2009)

Cycling History

As a young child I was always into sport.  When I begun high school I did anything and everything that I possibly could, and as a junior (12-13 years) I won the coveted Junior Sportswoman of the year award twice at my first high school in Bowral (Southern Highlands of NSW).  At age 14 my family decided to move to Sydney to allow me and my siblings a better shot at making it in our sports with better access to coaches and facilities.  At the age of 14 I was accepted into Endeavour Sports High School (Caringbah, NSW) for athletics and through the course of my time there I also won the Junior Sportswoman of the year award, won 3 Australian titles in Athletics and several regional and state medals.  I was a middle distance runner and was coached by the distinguished Rod Arnold who has had many successful athletes through his programs over the years. 

In 2005 at the age of 17 I was beginning to struggle with motivation in athletics, having not been able to crack it into an Australian team, my dream was to be an Olympian – the best in my sport in the world.  My stepfather, Ken Bates, suggested I give Triathlon a go and in my first ever race I won, with little training.  The surprising factor was that my bike leg was my strongest leg.  Two days after winning that triathlon I was convinced again by my stepfather to give track cycling a go.  Two years earlier my family and I went and watched a UCI Track Cycling World Cup at Dunc Gray velodrome in Sydney.  My mum, Karen Bates, said to me that I should take track cycling up because physically I was built like Anna and Kerrie Meares.  I was adamant however that I was going to be a runner, and that track cycling was lame!  I kid you not – within two laps of riding around Hurstville oval (my clubs local track) I had a life changing moment.  I just knew that this sport was going to be my life.  To this day I have not woken up and not wanted to train – to become better, to be the best, I love it, I live it, I breathe it.

I was lucky enough to have well respected Coach David Short OAM witness my first track race only two days after hopping on the bike.  He said to my mum that I had something special and that I should come along to a training session at Dunc Gray Velodrome.  On my first session on the velodrome I was able to ride at the top and dive down the banks.  I loved it!  It’s a thrill that still gives me an adrenalin rush!  Within 6months David coached me to twice NSW and Australian Champion and helped gain me a spot in the 2006 Australian team to compete at the Junior World Championships as well as my first ever World Medal with a bronze in the 500m Time Trial and two 4th places in the Sprint and Keirin.

Two years on David moved interstate to continue his coaching career in South Australia.  I was lucky enough to be picked up by Gary Sutton OAM as my coach for the following 2years.  In that time Gary coached me to become 3 times Australian Champion, 3 times Oceania Champion, my first ever World Championships and two silver medals at two UCI World Cups.

In 2008 I was accepted into the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and moved out of home and away from Sydney to Adelaide, South Australia.  Here Martin Barras took over my coaching and I worked with Martin for almost 8months.  In that time I was lucky enough to do my first big training and racing stint overseas in America where I won several of the Trexlertown sprint races and set myself up with some great base work for the oncoming 2009 season.
In September 2008 Gary West was appointed the new AIS track sprint coach and took over my coaching.  Gary is my coach to date and in that time I have achieved a World Championship title with Anna Meares in the Team Sprint, several medals at UCI World Cups and the continued development of my career.

Education

• St Anthony’s Primary years K-1
• Bowral Primary years 2-6
• Bowral High School years 7-8
• Endeavour Sports High School years 9-12
• Sydney University years 1-2
• The University of South Australia (UniSA) years 2-ongoing

In 2005 I completed my Higher School Certificate (HSC) with a mark of 93.5 which gave me enough points to gain entry into my choice of course: Bachelor of Education in Human Movement.  I spent two years at the University of Sydney as an athlete on scholarship before moving to Adelaide.  In Adelaide I enrolled in a similar course: Bachelor of Human Movement majoring in Exercise Science, where I am studying currently.

I am a big believer in having an interest outside of the life of cycling as it promotes balance and gives me an outlet from the high pressure and sometimes stressful lifestyle I lead as an elite athlete.  Uni allows me this outlet and I am fortunate to have access to Uni’s and services which are athlete friendly and supportive of what I do.  I am also the AIS ACE (Athlete, Career and Education) Ambassador for cycling in which I promote to my fellow team mates the importance of having balance in one’s life.