Introducing Bryony Botha
One of our 2024 Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge Ambassadors
“I'm Bryony, I'm 25 years old and I am a member of the NZ Track Cycling Team. I have been to 2 Commonwealth Games (Gold Coast & Birmingham) and 1 Olympic Games (Tokyo).
I have a Bachelors degree in Social Science and I am currently working towards my Masters in Management and my second Bachelors degree in Communication.
My dad got me into cycling when I was 12 years old and he coached me and did every single training session with me until I was 17 and I started getting too fast for him! I like riding because I love exercising, challenging myself, and exploring new areas. Cycling has also taken me to some amazing and strange places around the world that I probably never would have experienced if I didn't do cycling.
And I also love the massive cycling community that exists not only in New Zealand but all over the world.”
-Bryony - Riding the Round the Lake
September recap
September has been a busy month of training for the Track Cycling World Champs, juggling university, and starting my internship with Velobike. I loved sharing my Olympic experience with kids at local schools and remembering how inspiring our achievements can be.
July/August Recap
My biggest takeaway since the Olympics is that the journey matters more than the destination. Winning silver taught me that the process is what truly counts. Now, I'm focused on the Track Cycling World Championships in Denmark.
June Recap
In June, I underwent consistent training leading up to my departure to Belgium with my team for our Olympic build-up. Despite some initial setbacks with Covid, we persevered, and I'm now in France for a two-week training camp before the final build-up in Grenchen with the Olympic track team.
March Recap
March started off with racing at the Track Cycling National Champs. I competed in four events and medalled in each one. But the standout? That had to be the Individual Pursuit.
Back in NZ: September Highlights
After a long time away from NZ, and some time off the bike, Bryony is back home, getting back into her fitness routine, spending time with family and friends, and even doing a bit of baking when procrastination strikes.
Track Cycling World Championships
In the beginning of August I competed at the Track Cycling World Championships held in Glasgow. I had some pretty good results from this competition placing 3rd in the Individual Pursuit and 2nd in the Team Pursuit but still felt a mix of emotions.
Training, racing, and gearing up for Worlds
For the month of July I started off with 6 days of track racing in Podenzano, Italy. The racing was extremely valuable and I learnt so much (especially in the Madison event) that I hope to apply in the race at Worlds.
Racing in Belgium
For the month of June I spent my time training and doing a bit of racing in Belgium. I had a rough start dealing with some bike mechanical issues in the first week I arrived, but once that was sorted I was absolutely flying!
Get to know Bryony…
Bryony is a 25-year-old member of the NZ Track Cycling Team who has participated in two Commonwealth Games (Gold Coast & Birmingham) and one Olympic Games (Tokyo). Bryony loves cycling because she enjoys exercising, challenging herself, and exploring new areas.