Caleb Ewan
Professional cyclist
You won three stages on debut at the 2019 Tour de France. How did that feel?
It was a race I always watched growing up so it was a dream to be there. To get my first stage win was surreal then I got my second. My biggest dream of all was to win on the Champs-Élysée and
I did that. It was quite an incredible experience.
What’s your first memory of racing?
When I was about nine or 10 years old and lived in Bowral, NSW, I went to the local velodrome, where there was club racing. I started a race on a mountain bike on the velodrome, which is a weird combination. From then on I just never stopped.
Photograph by Tom Huntley
You live in Monaco with your wife and baby daughter. Do you miss Australia?
I’m fortunate to go back every year to compete in the Tour Down Under and it’s always good to race in front of the home crowd and see my family. The majority of my time is spent in Europe and it feels like home. It’s different, though, and I do miss Australia.
Does your bike have a baby seat?
Not on my race bike but I have an electric town bike that makes things easier because Monaco is hilly. My daughter and I go riding a fair bit.
You and Richie Porte were the only Aussies in the Tour de France this year. Are you mates?
He also lives in Monaco so we train together and our wives and kids are friends, too. If there are any two Australians to be racing together in the tour it’s us – he can do the mountains and I do the sprints. There should be entertainment in every stage for Aussie fans.
Ian Wedlock
Ivanhoe branch manager, Yarra Plenty Regional Library, Victoria
How essential are libraries to the community?
They’re a key part of the social fabric. COVID-19 has taken the physical place away but librarians have demonstrated that the personto-person connection hasn’t faded at all.
Yarra Plenty Regional Library had a program called Caring Calls during lockdown. How did that come about?
Our staff knew that a lot of seniors in our community find social connections with library staff and other members. The
I grew up in Brisbane and my local library was a Brisbane City Council branch. My first memory would be when I was in primary school, attending storytime with my grandma.
For the final instalment of magazine’s 100 Inspiring Australians, look out for our November issue, available 1 November.