Chloe Heffernan – Sydney Uni Women’s Cyclist
Growing up in Wollongong, NSW, Chloe started cycling on both the track and road when she was just 8 years old. During her school years she played soccer as well but at the age of 16 decided to focus on her passion of cycling. Having a year off from studies after completing her HSC in 2016 she is excited to start a degree of Bachelor of Health and Physical Education this year at The University of Wollongong.
Staminade: How did your love of cycling begin?
Chloe: “My dad was a cyclist when he was younger and he introduced the sport firstly to my two older siblings. When I saw how much they were enjoying it, my family encouraged me to give it a go also. My first bike was a tiny blue Hill Brick track bike that I got when started at 8, it wasn’t long after that I was riding on a road bike too and I have loved riding both kinds ever since.”
Staminade: What are your top 5 tips for young aspiring cyclists?
Chloe:
- Do it because you love it and have fun!
- There is always another bike race. You are not always going to have a great day on the bike, but remember to be resilient and learn from those days.
- Surround yourself with people who are encouraging and supportive.
- Make sure you set goals and really strive to achieve them
- Use the opportunities you are given to the fullest and learn from the more senior and elite athletes that you interact with.
Staminade: What’s it like being a female athlete in today’s society?
Chloe: “It’s super exciting, there has been so much progress in women’s sport recently. Although it is happening slowly, it is happening! Just recently a few of my teammates and I went to a open country handicap where both women and men place getters were awarded the same prize money. It is great to see men supportive of this initiative as well.”
Staminade: What has been your greatest success to date?
Chloe: “A recent success was winning a bronze medal in the Teams Pursuit at the National Track Championships in February this year. It was my first year as an elite so it was amazing just to be there racing with world class athletes and to get a medal was the cherry on top.”
Staminade: What’s your ultimate cycling goal?
Chloe: “I would love to represent Australia at the commonwealth and Olympic Games one day. I would also love to be a coach when I am no longer a competitive cyclist.”
Staminade: Who was your role model as an aspiring cyclist?
Chloe: “I grew up watching and looking up to Caleb Ewan. He used to race with my brother when they were both younger so seeing where he is now is pretty cool.”
Staminade: What’s your pre-event routine?
Chloe:“freshly shaved legs is a must the day before an event, as well as a good meal and a good sleep. On race day I start getting ready an hour or so before race start so I have enough time to eat and drink, get my numbers on and warm up. Leaving myself 10-15 mins to get to the line.”
Staminade: How does a typical training week look for you?
Chloe: “Each week I have a day of Hills, Motor pace with my coach and Illawarra track point score on Wednesday night. I also have a couple of endurance and recovery rides in between to break it all up. When there isn’t any racing on a weekend I love to get out with some local cyclists to smash out some solid but fun rides.“
Staminade: Favourite part of training?
Chloe: “When I get out on my bike on a perf morning and watching a beautiful sunrise over the ocean just makes getting up early worth it. I also enjoy pushing myself up the hills. I am really lucky to live in Wollongong where I get the best of both worlds, with beautiful beaches and local mountains to climb.”
Staminade: Hardest part of training and how you overcome the challenge?
Chloe: “When the weather is bad, especially windy. This makes me not motivated to go out and ride, but I remind myself that there are going to be race days like this so I may as well go out and get use to different conditions.”
Staminade: What’s your favourite flavour of Staminade?
Chloe: “Lemon Lime is my favourite.”
Staminade: Staminade’s tagline is ‘First Aid for Thirst’, what does this mean to you?
Chloe: “Staminade for me is the best for hydration before, during and after being on the bike. When racing I always have one bottle of Staminade and one bottle of water, having the Staminade helps replace fluids and electrolytes I loose from sweating in a race and keeps me hydrated and on top of my game.”