MTB champ Crafting her way to two medals
Careering down hills at break neck speeds is not something that bothers Laura Craft.
But spare a thought for her parents watching on the sidelines.
Big jumps, fast hills, you name it; Craft will conquer it on two wheels.
The Fairholme College Student is still revelling in her two medals at the Oceania Mountain Bike Championships in Toowoomba 10 days ago.
Her gold in the downhill section and bronze in the cross-country are made even more significant when you consider that Craft only hopped on a mountain bike two years ago.
And even more significant when you put into perspective that she won gold in her first ever competitive downhill race.
Though for Craft, it was a mix of jubilation and disbelief when she crossed the finish line.
“I was the only person in the competition who did both downhill and cross country so I think I am pretty happy about that,” she said.
Downhill racing is not one for the feint-hearted, as Craft knows all too well.
Like any sport, mountainbiking doesn’t come without its fair share of bumps and bruises, especially at the elite level.
Craft herself is no stranger to the emergency ward, having suffered a broken collarbone in New Zealand last year.
“Mum normally watches from race village,” she said.
Though it was her dad who initially convinced her to jump on a bike two years ago, and Craft found herself side-by-side with both of her parents at the Jubilee Park race.
“Dad was actually doing the downhill with me and mum did the cross-country with me - she came third,” Craft said.
And that competitive nature is what spurred Craft on towards two medals.
She said she was more competitive with her mother than with her sister.
“My dad is faster than me down hill but I am faster going up because I have a lighter bike.”
I was the only person in the competition who did both downhill and cross country so I think I am pretty happy about that. — Laura Craft