Abi's Award Winning Adventures

Behind the scenes of the Australian and International Mountain Bike Circuit, BSC student, Abigail Van Halen, has achieved enormous success. Abi, who is sponsored by mountain bike specialists, Lusty Industries, recently competed in the Enduro event at the State Titles, held at Mount Buller. After suffering a flat tyre mid-race, in order to avoid further damage, she was forced to run with her bike all the way to the finish line, which saw her finish in a commendable 3rd place.

From there it was on to the Crankworx World Tour Series in Cairns, Q.L.D. During this event, Abi took out 2nd place in the Enduro competition and 3rd place in the Bike Pump event. This is a fantastic achievement, considering she was up against international competitors.

Other than the great fish and chips on offer, Abigail loved the atmosphere and the positive environment generated by the event. Congratulations on your outstanding efforts, Abi! Your success is definitely an inspiration to many.

A Word From Abi

“I started mountain biking through a small social group designed for kids, called ‘Dirt Critters Ballarat’. My dad helps to run it, and now I help to improve other kids’ skills. I started on a small hand-me-down bike at age 10, before getting my first ever hardtail mountain bike at 13. Now, at age 16, I’m riding a full suspension Enduro bike.

I remember always attending dad's Xc events and wanting to be like him. My love of downhill and Enduro all started when I went to watch ‘King of Ballarat’ in 2021. I started some casual riding and found that I loved the feeling of adrenaline when flying downhill as fast as I could, which is a bit different to what dad did.  It was here that I met many inspiring young riders, like Quinn Moore. I didn’t know it then, but eventually she would be the one who introduced me to downhill racing. During one of my first ever rides at Black Hill, Quinn took me down a track called ‘Claim Jumper’. I remember being so scared, but I loved it!

Over the past few years, I have encountered many challenges, however, surprisingly, most of them have been mental. Starting out, it definitely wasn’t easy to overcome the nerves and I’m not sure that’ll ever change (especially when sitting in the start gate), but that’s just part of downhill. I’ve had some horrible races and had some pretty shocking results, but no matter what, all the local girls have always been there for me. 

My first downhill race was at Mount Buller for the 2023 National Downhill Round, which was a huge first event to conquer. Luckily, I had the support of my local club (Club Mud), who have always been really supportive and helpful, no matter the circumstances. It’s like one big family. 

When the nerves take over and I can’t help overthinking a feature on the track, or even when I’m just completing my run, I love to put my Airpods in and switch them to noise cancelling. It refreshes my mind. During enduros, I like to take my time up the climbs and use visualisation for the stages I’m about to ride. Usually the climbs are long, so I have a lot of thinking time. My secret to success isn’t really a secret at all, it’s just to have fun. I’ve found that if you’re having fun the results will show it. Do it for yourself and prove people wrong!

Since I started, my mindset has changed considerably. In the beginning, I crashed multiple times and ended up in the hospital. I thought I never wanted to race again. Now I know that crashing is a part of the sport. I am constantly learning about my limits and when to push, as if you don’t push, you won’t get better.

One of my biggest goals is to encourage and inspire more girls to get into the sport of mountain biking. It’s great fun! I’ve had girls from all over Australia ask me for advice and I absolutely love seeing them improve over time. In 2023 a girl named Hannah, who was from Cairns, had just started out riding and needed some guidance. I helped her gain the courage to keep riding and strive to reach her goals. I next saw her at the 2024 Crankworx World Tour, as she raced the downhill. 

In the future, I hope there will be heaps more female mountain bikers. Cairns was eye-opening for me, as they have an all-female MTB club, which showed how many women are getting involved with the sport. I hope one day we can have jam-packed categories like the men.

Outside of racing, mountain biking has had a huge impact on me. I have a job in a bike shop and have made friendships that I hope will last a lifetime. I have travelled to some breathtaking places around Australia, which I may never have experienced without mountain biking. 

I would love to travel overseas to compete and meet girls from all over this amazing planet. My dream would be to compete in Enduro Worlds, win an Australian Title for Enduro and/or compete in a full Crankworx World Tour Series. I’ll be happy as long as I’m on the bike and having fun. Dream big; no dream is impossible, if you work hard enough for it.”