Stories

We're mothers, sisters, friends, wives, adventurers. Sometimes we have the energy to conquer the world. Sometimes it's a miracle we made time to get out of our pyjamas at all.

Here are 8 women we think are pretty damn inspirational to follow this #IWD2020.

First up, let's address the obvious: what is artistic cycling? "Artistic cycling is a form of competitive indoor cycling in which athletes perform tricks (called exercises) for points on specialized, fixed-gear bikes in a format similar to ballet or gymnastics. The exercises are performed in front of judges in five-minute rounds by singles, pairs, four- or six-man teams." Ok, that sounds a bit wacky. Let's watch a video to get a better sense of what this is all about. Alright! Now those are some serious skills. Now, who is Nicole Frýbortová? She's a Slovakian rider who has had a legendary...

Recently I attempted (and completed!) my first triathlon. It was in Rotorua, New Zealand and was called Sufferfest. That should have been my first clue to be honest! There was a half Ironman distance involving a 2km swim, 90km cycle and a 21km run, and a quarter Ironman which was half that. I wanted to opt for the half and thankfully Jordana talked me down to the quarter for my first attempt. I was diagnosed with breast cancer early in 2019, and when I found out I was to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy I decided to set myself a physical...

Around the same time as the bicycle enabled women to become more physically and geographically mobile, New Zealand women were also demanding a greater say in the running of the country.

Under the leadership of Kate Sheppard, suffrage campaigners were calling on Parliament to grant the vote to women. They compiled a series of massive petitions and sought signatures up and down the country. What better way for the suffragists to collect them than by bicycle?