Continuing the Inspiring Adventure Journey. From Canada - NZ and off to the States

I had spent four weeks riding challenging trails that tested me physically and mentally. I surprised myself with what I could do. I experienced fear, excitement, frustration, and pride — sometimes all in one day.

A few days before leaving New Zealand (heading to Canada for my Whistler trip) I attended a dirt bike cross-country (XC) race with a friend. Though intimidated by the skill and professionalism, I felt inspired to try it after pushing my limits in Canada. One of the goals I set on the bus ride from Banff to Vancouver was to race in an XC series. Here I was prior to leaving the country being intimidated yet as I was growing my confidence in life and myself, I committed to myself that I would race an entire series.

The challenges during my trip to Canada extended beyond mountain biking. I had intended to spend a week in San Francisco, but the high accommodation costs and fully booked tourist attractions cut my visit short. Ultimately, I spent just 24 hours in San Francisco. During that time, I managed a quick bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge, visited my late fiancé’s cousins, and with the only affordable accomodation being airport bound, I was done. That day in San Francisco was overwhelming — I had run out of money, the city was vast and expensive, and a city event turned a 30-minute trip back to the airport into a two-hour ordeal, cutting it too fine for my liking to get home to NZ. I had achieved alot and I was eager to return home with a renewed understanding of myself and my capabilities.

Upon returning home to Taupo, NZ, Paul, whom I met at the XC race, visited me to learn about my journey and get to know me a little more. Through emails exchanged while I was away, we discovered that we had both experienced the loss of our loved ones and he was enlightened to hear that there was light & happiness and life after such a dark times for us both.

Paul had lived in South Carolina, USA, and was a retired international professional XC racer as well as a solo father to a two-and-a-half-year-old. Our bond grew, and I embraced a new family life, supporting him in his retirement from professional sports and striving to be the best step-mum I could be. Paul was developing the Yamaha Demo Bike program, coaching young athletes, and managing his motorbike farm.

Back to my goal set on the bus from Banff to Vancouver

I didn’t just race in one XC series; I became the right-hand man to the owner of the NZXC series, who later owned the NZGNCC series. I competed in many XC events and even tried enduro! My weekends shifted from trail riding to XC racing and becoming involved in the sport and events where I could. I never aimed to win but loved the riding level and the community of families committed to XC racing.

When Paul raced, I supported him in the pits. Many fathers asked how to get their boys on a similar path as Paul — to keep them focused on healthy sport instead of drugs and alcohol. Paul and I created the PWR Academy, selecting top junior riders for a 6-month mentoring and coaching program.

In 2017, we travelled to the States a couple of times for Paul’s periodotic role training the AMRO Yamaha race team around their race calendar. This was a challenging time for me. I was out of my comfort zone, thrown into the role of full-time step-mum among strangers, supporting a retired athlete who, though contractually done, was still deeply committed to racing and training wherever he could. I really didn’t know how to find myself in all this, which was quite a contrast from the trip I had experienced only months before.

Upon our return to NZ, Paul and I worked harder and closer together to grow and develop his brand and enterprises as best we could in an inferior market (XC vs MX). I developed a relationship with Yamaha NZ and different dealers as we set up demos across the country. We also converted part of his shed at Bike Park into accommodation for racers from the States to come over and train in our summer (their winter).

This chapter of my life was both emotional and thrilling... It was vastly different from the Canada trip, yet that journey was what prepared me for this phase.

I gained knowledge and formed connections in the off-road motorcycle community. I had the opportunity to love and be a stepmother, as well as the chance to travel not merely as a tourist but as a teammate, contributing to the sport in a different country. This was an invaluable experience that I knew not many people get to enjoy.

After two years, Paul and I went our separate ways. I ended up on a plane to New Caledonia—a journey we had planned to take together, but here I was, alone in a different country once more...