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Megan Dunn gets chased by the Media at the Bay Classic. Her performance to win the high profile series a great Achievement.
Dunn wins Bay Crits
Rochelle Gilmore:
U15s Champion to Senior Star
U15s Champion to Senior Star
Megan Dunn - Presentation Skills and working with the Media:
Megan Dunn is not just a physically strong bike rider, she is hungry and tough mentally, yet at the same time she is also is aware that acknowledging people and the media is important. She is a rider that is very good at the art of switching off and on, where she can nail an opponent in a race and then straight after roll out a list of positive comments for the media, the spectators and even her opponents.
Her control is helped by a natural relaxed look and feel when publicly speaking, or behind the camera. However don’t be fooled this comfortable look in the public eye is not something that come naturally to anyone; just like every thing it takes a considerable amount of effort.
To learn to be comfortable when public speaking takes plenty of practice and experience; and to get the experience - “Yah just have to Hav-a-Go”.
Don’t think of any of the negatives just jump up and talk about the things that the audience expect you to talk about. Yes maybe there might be a few mistakes but be positive it will be okay.
At 16 years old Megan Dunn won the 2008 Bay Classic Series, and amazing feat. She was unbelievable the way she handled the publicity at the event, she was bombarded by the national press and handled it in her stride. That experience should give her a higher level of confidence and maturity, and will surely open more doors and provide more opportunities in the future.
Megan Dunn is not just a physically strong bike rider, she is hungry and tough mentally, yet at the same time she is also is aware that acknowledging people and the media is important. She is a rider that is very good at the art of switching off and on, where she can nail an opponent in a race and then straight after roll out a list of positive comments for the media, the spectators and even her opponents.
Her control is helped by a natural relaxed look and feel when publicly speaking, or behind the camera. However don’t be fooled this comfortable look in the public eye is not something that come naturally to anyone; just like every thing it takes a considerable amount of effort.
To learn to be comfortable when public speaking takes plenty of practice and experience; and to get the experience - “Yah just have to Hav-a-Go”.
Don’t think of any of the negatives just jump up and talk about the things that the audience expect you to talk about. Yes maybe there might be a few mistakes but be positive it will be okay.
At 16 years old Megan Dunn won the 2008 Bay Classic Series, and amazing feat. She was unbelievable the way she handled the publicity at the event, she was bombarded by the national press and handled it in her stride. That experience should give her a higher level of confidence and maturity, and will surely open more doors and provide more opportunities in the future.
Case Study One: Rochelle Gilmore - April 2010
There is no doubt that a female cyclist will have a tougher time making the decision to commit to achieving their full potential on the bike.
Less money and hype, lower numbers and depth, and a male dominated hierarchy with more distractions for the girls; makes the decision to chase a professional sporting career in cycling, a very difficult one for even the most talented female.
Those distractions fuelled by the lower money and therefore need to have a second string in the bow will in the majority of times win out, as talented juniors move away from the sport and into other more financial or easier activities.
Yet on the positive side there is Rochelle Gilmore, being able to reach your potential in cycling is a tough assignment especially if you are the national champion in the under 15s. Rochelle was sensational at her first National Junior road Championship in Adelaide all those years ago, when a rough pedalling tiny Rochelle fresh from BMX turned up and showed amazing speed in what a very dominate NSW team. Normally success at a young age just adds to the pressure but Rochelle is as focused and personally driven now as she was then.
However the thing you can most learn from Rochelle Gilmore is her professionalism, in 1999 I asked Rochelle to talk to a group of under 17s, both boys and girls, at the Junior Oceania Development Camp. I was blown away with the presentation she gave on preparing for the World Junior Championship, and over a decade later I am still talking up the professionalism she showed in that talk.
Rochelle Gilmore thinks and heavily plans to maximise the benefits she receives from her chosen sport of cycling, using more than her legs to ensure she is a successful Professional Cyclist.
Most of the year she rides where the money is, in the European Professional Women’s Road scene. Again I was amazed that her professionalism and particularly her profile on the Women UCI World Cup when I got to follow parts of the series in Europe in early 2000’s. She had total commitment from her tough riding international team mates, eating the pressure that comes with having to finish off a sprint against the likes of Teutenberg.
Yet it is in Australia where she has impressed me with her professionalism recently. The profile for cycling in Australia is restricted to a brief period during summer, when the free to air TV and the media generally come down to check out the cycling. However with all the big name male Pro’s in town, for Rochelle to give a sponsor good air time she cannot just rely on the race action, as all the airtime goes to the faster Men’s events.
Event Previews and Camera & Microphone hook ups are about being available and being prepared; obviously Rochelle’s got that in-hand, and now she has the experience and the reputation its gunna be hard to knock her out of that gig.
However this year the Team Honda Women team did something special and took media time off the men’s events at the widely publicised Bay Criterium Classic. Knowing that the women will battle to take air time off the men on the bike, Rochelle Gilmore attacked the assembled media with an off the bike assault, waiting for the right time to orchestrate and eye catching Honda Team parade up the main spectator area sending a Mexico Wave like rush for the cameras. The issue being that many event promoters schedule the events for the spectators which often isn’t the best time for the media to make the news deadlines. It certainly seem to me this year at the Bay Classic, whenever it was time to tie things up for the media deadlines the Honda team would be there looking like the winners. In fact for the men to re claim some space back in the newspapers Browny and the Urban Hotel boys had to organise a good old brawl on the bikes.
Certainly Rochelle Gilmore actions and race styles are not for everyone, but her preparation is there to be seen by all. If you want to be successful you can learn plenty from Rochelle attention to detail. Really when a high rating free to air TV show such as “The Biggest Loser” was chasing a cyclist did any other rider have a chance?
Sure to be professional you have to think alot about yourself, but it’s worth considering that talk Rochelle gave to what was a fairly scraggily bunch of under 17 year olds all those years ago. A number of the boys went on to ride for good teams including ProTour, plus one of the few girls that attended the talk was the then, not so highly ranked, Alexis Rhodes, who has become a superstar of Australian Women’s Cycling. You can learn plenty from listening to talented people.
There is no doubt that a female cyclist will have a tougher time making the decision to commit to achieving their full potential on the bike.
Less money and hype, lower numbers and depth, and a male dominated hierarchy with more distractions for the girls; makes the decision to chase a professional sporting career in cycling, a very difficult one for even the most talented female.
Those distractions fuelled by the lower money and therefore need to have a second string in the bow will in the majority of times win out, as talented juniors move away from the sport and into other more financial or easier activities.
Yet on the positive side there is Rochelle Gilmore, being able to reach your potential in cycling is a tough assignment especially if you are the national champion in the under 15s. Rochelle was sensational at her first National Junior road Championship in Adelaide all those years ago, when a rough pedalling tiny Rochelle fresh from BMX turned up and showed amazing speed in what a very dominate NSW team. Normally success at a young age just adds to the pressure but Rochelle is as focused and personally driven now as she was then.
However the thing you can most learn from Rochelle Gilmore is her professionalism, in 1999 I asked Rochelle to talk to a group of under 17s, both boys and girls, at the Junior Oceania Development Camp. I was blown away with the presentation she gave on preparing for the World Junior Championship, and over a decade later I am still talking up the professionalism she showed in that talk.
Rochelle Gilmore thinks and heavily plans to maximise the benefits she receives from her chosen sport of cycling, using more than her legs to ensure she is a successful Professional Cyclist.
Most of the year she rides where the money is, in the European Professional Women’s Road scene. Again I was amazed that her professionalism and particularly her profile on the Women UCI World Cup when I got to follow parts of the series in Europe in early 2000’s. She had total commitment from her tough riding international team mates, eating the pressure that comes with having to finish off a sprint against the likes of Teutenberg.
Yet it is in Australia where she has impressed me with her professionalism recently. The profile for cycling in Australia is restricted to a brief period during summer, when the free to air TV and the media generally come down to check out the cycling. However with all the big name male Pro’s in town, for Rochelle to give a sponsor good air time she cannot just rely on the race action, as all the airtime goes to the faster Men’s events.
Event Previews and Camera & Microphone hook ups are about being available and being prepared; obviously Rochelle’s got that in-hand, and now she has the experience and the reputation its gunna be hard to knock her out of that gig.
However this year the Team Honda Women team did something special and took media time off the men’s events at the widely publicised Bay Criterium Classic. Knowing that the women will battle to take air time off the men on the bike, Rochelle Gilmore attacked the assembled media with an off the bike assault, waiting for the right time to orchestrate and eye catching Honda Team parade up the main spectator area sending a Mexico Wave like rush for the cameras. The issue being that many event promoters schedule the events for the spectators which often isn’t the best time for the media to make the news deadlines. It certainly seem to me this year at the Bay Classic, whenever it was time to tie things up for the media deadlines the Honda team would be there looking like the winners. In fact for the men to re claim some space back in the newspapers Browny and the Urban Hotel boys had to organise a good old brawl on the bikes.
Certainly Rochelle Gilmore actions and race styles are not for everyone, but her preparation is there to be seen by all. If you want to be successful you can learn plenty from Rochelle attention to detail. Really when a high rating free to air TV show such as “The Biggest Loser” was chasing a cyclist did any other rider have a chance?
Sure to be professional you have to think alot about yourself, but it’s worth considering that talk Rochelle gave to what was a fairly scraggily bunch of under 17 year olds all those years ago. A number of the boys went on to ride for good teams including ProTour, plus one of the few girls that attended the talk was the then, not so highly ranked, Alexis Rhodes, who has become a superstar of Australian Women’s Cycling. You can learn plenty from listening to talented people.
Team Honda:
Always in the Camera Shot:
Always in the Camera Shot:
Hollee Simons wins Bcc 2 Day Easter Tour:
Bathurst Cycling Club held a 2 day tour over the Easter Weekend, with a Handicap stage on day 1 around the tough Rockley Mount loop in preparation for the coming B2B weekend.
Taking the win and the outright lead of the tour after day 1 was new club member Steve Scott who put in an impressive ride for someone so new to the sport. Just as impressive was 12 year old Hollee Simons who finished second infront of the very fast finishing Backmarker Blair Windsor.
Day 2 was a series of Graded Scratch Races with Hollee Simons great win in C Grade clinching her the overall Easter Tour title from Harry Jones and Drew Carter. The individual grade winners on day 2 where Ryan ODonnell with a great tactical ride in A Grade, Harry Jones in a big bunch sprint in B Grade, Hollee Simons in C Grade and Phil Egan with an impressive solo display in D Grade with Kenny Spring Women's Team rider Cynterah Micarelli a unlucky 5th and Jess Marshall just missing the major placings .
Bathurst Cycling Club held a 2 day tour over the Easter Weekend, with a Handicap stage on day 1 around the tough Rockley Mount loop in preparation for the coming B2B weekend.
Taking the win and the outright lead of the tour after day 1 was new club member Steve Scott who put in an impressive ride for someone so new to the sport. Just as impressive was 12 year old Hollee Simons who finished second infront of the very fast finishing Backmarker Blair Windsor.
Day 2 was a series of Graded Scratch Races with Hollee Simons great win in C Grade clinching her the overall Easter Tour title from Harry Jones and Drew Carter. The individual grade winners on day 2 where Ryan ODonnell with a great tactical ride in A Grade, Harry Jones in a big bunch sprint in B Grade, Hollee Simons in C Grade and Phil Egan with an impressive solo display in D Grade with Kenny Spring Women's Team rider Cynterah Micarelli a unlucky 5th and Jess Marshall just missing the major placings .
Gary Sutton to be at Team launch:
The Kenny Spring Solicitors Junior Women’s Cycling Team will be launched this weekend. Following the recent successes of local area male cyclists, the seven girl team has been created to promote pathways for young women, assisting them into the higher levels of cycling.
The Head New South Wales Institute of Sport Coach and the High Performance Track Endurance Coach for the Australian Women, Gary Sutton has lent his support to the team and Cycling New South Wales has offered access to Coaching Camps with coaches such as Commonwealth Games Gold medallist, Natalie Bates.
Full Press Release coming soon.....
The Kenny Spring Solicitors Junior Women’s Cycling Team will be launched this weekend. Following the recent successes of local area male cyclists, the seven girl team has been created to promote pathways for young women, assisting them into the higher levels of cycling.
The Head New South Wales Institute of Sport Coach and the High Performance Track Endurance Coach for the Australian Women, Gary Sutton has lent his support to the team and Cycling New South Wales has offered access to Coaching Camps with coaches such as Commonwealth Games Gold medallist, Natalie Bates.
Full Press Release coming soon.....
NSW Junior team from the 90s with Rochelle Gilmore in the third row with team mate Kate Bates, Pat Coxen, Toireasa Ryan & Felda Lee.
Gilmore an U15 Champion still is a star today. Western Division had plenty of local stars in this photo do you know any?.
Gilmore an U15 Champion still is a star today. Western Division had plenty of local stars in this photo do you know any?.
Hollee Simons:
Bcc 2 Day Easter Mini-Tour
Bcc 2 Day Easter Mini-Tour
Gary
Sutton:
At a Press Conference at the Junior worlds
Sutton:
At a Press Conference at the Junior worlds
