It’s been one of the most challenging years I’ve ever experienced on and off the bike. After coming off the 22/23 winter, the fittest I have ever experienced, I pursued moving full-time to Belgium, and just as I overcame some of the biggest obstacles involved, I got incredibly sick. This put my whole professional cycling journey in question; after 4months of a rollercoaster recovery process, I had finally let go of my dream to become a professional cyclist. This, I later realised, was one of the most significant ways to allow a full recovery. It took another four months to make a full recovery, almost getting diagnosed with CFS in the process; I was able to start ramping up my training load into full-time training once again and rounding out one of the most challenging seasons I had ever experienced back on the bike. I couldn’t have done any of this without the incredible support of my circle and the many hard lessons I had to learn over the months. 

After coming to peace with life without being a full-time athlete, I am approaching professional cycling with a new perspective and drive, which I’m confident will allow me to surpass my previous fitness level in time. The lessons I have learned through the last few seasons are becoming increasingly valuable.