Interview: Amy Hunt - Under 23 Academy Rider

Interview & Images: Joolze Dymond

Posted: 31 August 2007

From the casual observer's perspective, Amy Hunt 'exploded' onto the Cross-Country Mountain Bike scene at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, where she racked up an impressive 4th spot. However, for a 21 year old Amy has been around the scene for an awfully long time, and she has gone through several incarnations, including Track and Road rider, but Mountain Biking is perhaps the discipline she was always destined to shine at. Joolze Dymond spoke to her at the GB Team's final pre-worlds training camp in Fort William in mid-August.

Amy turns on the style at the 2006 Commonwealth Games

Amy has always been competitive by nature. She was involved in competitive sport from a very early age. However it wasn't cycling which initially attracted her and at the age of 13 shewas a Nationally ranked swimmer. However, she eventually bowed to the inevitable and decided to follow her Dad, Roy, out on the bike one day - and so started a whole new chapter in her life.

Now living on the outskirts of Manchester in a house she shares with her brother, Amy spoke frankly to me recently at Fort William, and discussed the highs and lows she has experienced in the last couple of years and her ambitions for the World Championships, along with her passion to catch up with her Mum for a spot of shopping from time to time!

Joolze Dymond: You're probably more known as 'that' road rider turned mountain biker, because of the Commonwealth Games last year, how does that make you feel?

Amy Hunt: I'm not really bothered; it does annoy me that people really don't know the facts though. It all stemmed from the opportunity I got to ride MTB at the Commonwealth Games at the very last minute and it went well. So when I came back I had a good hard think about what direction I wanted to go in: to begin with I was still going to stick with the road but then decided I didn't want to stay on the road as I would always be second best to Nicole (Cooke). I don't have a problem with that, I'd really like to work for her, but to be honest I've worked really hard and wanted some of the limelight so to speak. I was looking for something else, I didn't enjoy track as much as I should have done if it was to be my 'job' and when the opportunity turned up to race off-road, I tried it, really enjoyed it, and here I am.

JD: You did quite a bit of XC racing in your youth didn't you?
AH: I did, I started as a youth rider and did a bit as a junior, but when I got onto the Talent Team, I switched over to the road and I was going down that avenue as the team didn't really know where to place me. I did really enjoy it at the time, I got a contract with a pro team, but to be honest my road background is only as strong as my mountain biking background, I've done them equally for roughly the same time.

JD: Your dad is a bit of a legend in the mountain bike world. Did he influence your decision to ride XC at all?
AH: No to be honest he really wanted me to stay on the road. It was a really hard decision to make. I'd got this contract with the pro road team and I suppose that turned out to be one of the deciding factors, as I really didn't enjoy being based in Italy on this women's team. The team was Safi-Pasta Zara. Nicole's, old team. Initially it was set up that I was going out with Nikki Harris and Charlotte Goldsmith, Charlotte left the squad and Nikki didn't want to go, she kind of got pushed into it. I'd not made an effort to learn the language and I just hated the experience so much I just couldn't have carried on cycling. So when the opportunity came up to ride XC I just jumped at it. I don't regret that decision at all, I couldn't have stuck it out with the pro team. I guess it might be different now that the Women's Academy is set up for the road, but at the time I couldn't wait to get out of it. When I was on the women's road squad you were in at the deep end when they sorted out pro teams for you to ride for, but now there is more of a progression riding for Global, but before there was women's endurance and nothing else and it was kind of you've got to do this as there are no more options.

JD: Are you aiming to be racing as long as your Dad?
AH: No, I won't be like my dad! Definitely not. I'll get to a point where I'll think, right that's it, I've had enough and pack my bike away, but it won't be for a while yet.

JD: Is there much competition between you and your Dad?
AH: Not in who can bring home the most National jerseys! Mainly who can make the other suffer the most in a hard training session. I need to train with other people to bring it out of me so I do a lot of my hard sessions with my Dad and we definitely get a lot of pleasure making each other suffer! I'm getting nearer to him, I'm getting nearer! He may very well hang up his wheels when he realises he can't make me suffer on a bike anymore. But then again I don't think my Dad will ever stop riding his bike.

JD: You've been on the MTB Academy now for well over a year, is it going well?
AH: Yeah, but it's a shame that Phil (Dixon) and the support staff weren't in place when I started, as this year I feel like I'm starting from scratch again: this year I've learnt so much. I've also had some really good rides this year along with some really bad rides too, it's been very up and down, but it's been a good learning curve for me. I'm a great believer that you have to make mistakes so that you can learn from them. Being on the Academy now that Phil is looking after me is excellent, but I never knew it would be so complex from race plans to looking at courses and lines everything about your bike and tyres, fork pressures etc, I knew nothing about any of that, but I've picked so much up this year.

JD: You've had a very 'up' and 'down' year, especially at this year's XC Nationals where you got injured in a crash
AH: I was disappointed as that was the first time I'd gone into a race and knew I could win it. I just didn't have that mentality at any other race and I was so annoyed, I knew nothing could be done, so I thought I'd just ignore it and it was only the day after when I got on my bike to ride the enduro that I realised how bad it was and to be honest even now, although it's not sore, but it does swell up. I've been told to go and see the doctor when I get back from the camp! It's not serious but I must have whacked it pretty bad for it still to twinge even now. I did it on that tricky descent on the Nationals course, I went flying down the Mineshaft section, not knowing it was as slippy as ice and I went flying.

JD: So I guess you're a full time rider now?
AH: Yeah this is my job now and has been for quite a few years. I did my 'A' levels and started Uni, choose the wrong course, I did Sports Psychology; I thought I could sort myself out, but it wasn't for me. I went to the Youth Games and missed loads of course work, so opted out. But I'm doing a course in my own time now, like a diploma, just to keep me busy. But to be honest if I knew what I wanted to do, I would do a course in it, but I don't! So I think it's not worth trying to force yourself to learn something you're not interested. I'm doing something I am interested in but it's not something I necessarily want a career in. I'm only young so don't think I have to stress too much about it. I hope I can make a career out of racing my bike for a few more years yet.

JD: Was it quite a shock though when you did join the Academy, the amount of work you were expected to do?
AH: Not really, cos when Dan Hunt coached me, my training schedules jumped up. I've always been a good trainer. I always train hard, probably too much at times. To be honest one of the biggest things I learnt being on the Academy was how to rest properly. It was actually sit down, feet up and rest, do nothing on your rest day. I would never do anything like that before I would just think I was being bone idle. Now I realise the importance of proper resting. It is the most boring thing I do. It's hard to rest when you don't think you need it, but that's something Phil has changed for me, he has had me resting more, then I usually would. Also the Academy has been important by providing all the support staff, like Gemma, Nigel for nutrition and Phil and all the extra services are vital in helping you achieve your best.

Getting to know Fort William's technicalities

JD: I guess that people don't realise that the Academy and for that matter the ODP go into so much detail?
AH: Yeah I don't think they do. It is very different, look at the track and the road it's just physical and the coaches are there to do the training but with mountain biking the coaches have got have been there and done it themselves and know their stuff, 'cos otherwise they just can't tell you about it at all. That's the thing I noticed with Phil is that he knows so much.

JD: So do you have a good coach/rider relationship with Phil Dixon?
AH: It took a long while to get used to him, as previously the women's coach had coached me. Also he became my coach at the start of the season and I was already in race mode, he didn't know anything about me or how I deal with stuff, it took a while and that was another move that wasn't easy this year. But it's all little things like that that people don't realise that these things add up and they just assume things without knowing the facts. Changing coaches is never easy, but it's going in the right direction now.

JD: You mentioned there is a lot of 'resting' in your job, so what do you do when you're not riding?
AH: I go shopping! I know I'm on my feet, but I just go out for lunch with my Mum. Me and my Mum are shopaholics, were always going out for coffees and lunches and my brother calls us a pair of Footballers' wives, because he said when you're not on your bike that's what you act like. I don't live with my Mum and dad anymore so it's a good way to catch up with my Mum, when I'm not on the bike. Me and my brother brought a house, near to Manchester and I didn't want to live at the Academy with the lads, you've seen what they're like! I needed to move out of home, I needed my independence; it's been really good for me.

JD: Has being on the training camps boosted your confidence?
AH: Yeah it has, I've done a lot of hard work after the Nationals. I just needed to get my head straight as I explained earlier it didn't go well. Plus during the preparations for the Euros I'd had a bad back, so I wanted to get a really good block of training in and rested into this camp. To be honest it's only come altogether for me on the last day of the camp. But that's good enough for me.

JD: It's been quite an intense couple of days.
AH: It's been really hard work, and it's hard when you're completely nailed to keep pressing on. But having done efforts on every part of the course I just know it so well. I feel so comfortable with the course now, knowing too that I'll know it better than any other rider I'll be lining up with is a real confidence booster. It also helps breaking down the course into sections in the race itself; I just know it so well.

Amy (right) racing full-on during a National Series event

JD: What's it like being on a camp with just 2 girls and 7 guys?
AH: It's always entertaining going on camps as undoubtedly you're outnumbered with the guys. It's very different on the MTB camp compared to camps I've done with the track squad: there they were serious, serious, serious, whereas here the guys switch on when they need to and switch off when they're off duty and that is so important, as it can't be on your mind 24 hours a day. We have a brilliant team at the moment, it works really well together. We all get on. I do like being away with the juniors, we only started doing that this year. It's good to be surrounded by so many people who you trust. I do seem to spend more time with the team these days than my real friends. Training with the lads also definitely brings me on. I'm sure it frustrates them sometimes, that there's a girl slowing them down, but overall it is good, especially with the technical sections and the descents, I follow them and find I can easily do stuff I wouldn't do otherwise.

JD: Are you confident in delivering the goods at the Under 23 women's race at the World Championships in Fort William?
AH: It's good having an under 23 category and you're racing in your home nation and having ridden the course so many times now there's nothing on it that I'm even slightly worried about. A lot of the courses I've ridden this year really tested me. I've ridden some very technical trails, so Fort William is just another race, but one that I know intimately. I think I'll get a good ride, my head is sorted now. I'm a lot stronger that I was at the start of the year both mentally and physically, I can't do any more training than I've already done, I've been working hard. So I think I just need to relax as the works been done now and there's nothing more that can be done. I'll get some good rest in, that's one thing I really am good at! Mum and Dad would call that lazy but I would say I'm a good rester!

JD: You've mentioned a few times that some of your performances have been down to your 'head space' - do you think this is down to being under pressure, being held up as our next big hope in the chase for medals?
AH: No to be honest it's down to the pressure I put on myself, probably as a result of what I think is expected of me. It doesn't really bother me I think sometimes people contradict themselves, they say I'm the up and coming rider and then they'll put you down if you have a bad race. It's almost as if people don't want anyone to challenge Jenny (Copnall) as she's been at the top of the sport in the UK for so long. I don't understand why people seem unhappy that someone has come along to challenge her when we should be glad that someone is there - and its not just me anymore, there are a group of us that all of a sudden have got up to Jenny's level. I know that Jenny is really happy to have some competition at last because it helps her raise her game too. The gap between women's racing in the UK and international racing is huge and if we can work hard to get closer and closer to that then it can only be a good thing for the UK and women riders in general. We could do with a few more women coming into the sport, there just aren't enough, though I have noticed its loads better than it has been.

JD: Does Gemma (Eyres), part of the Academy support staff network, have a positive input to your outlook?
AH: My biggest problem this year has been sorting my head out. Working with Gemma is really good in helping with confidence and self-belief. It helps that she's young as well and she's from a neutral position and she doesn't know a great deal about cycling but she can relate really well to you and it's been really good to chat things through with her. From where I was at the start of the year to where I am now, there's a huge difference both in my ability and my confidence.

JD: Are you hoping for a place at the Olympics next year?
AH: I don't think that will happen because we've not got enough points to qualify our place. I think we're in that position because if you look at the men's races you had Oli (Beckingsale) and Liam (Killeen) chasing for points all last year and this year, there's been no one there to help me. A lot of people are saying that British Cycling have just given up by not sending people to help me, but it's too late now really. It's just unfortunate it can't be saved. But when my first year chasing for points was my first year on a mountain bike racing abroad, they (GB team) didn't expect anything of me, so no one else should really, points weren't even an issue last year.

GB riders working on the new Fort William course

JD: Do you regret going down the XC route?
AH: No not at all, there was a point where perhaps my Dad got too involved, I can see know he just wanted the best for me, but at the time it was all too much. Now I'm lucky in that he's always there to turn to for advice, which I guess is a benefit rather than have parents who know nothing about cycling. It's always good to get his opinion. So no I don't really regret anything. I think this year could have gone better, but that's been down to some things out of my control: I'm not going to stress about it. To be honest when things have been so flat the only way now is up.

JD: Is there anyone out there that inspires you're drive and ambition?
AH: No not really. There are riders that are young and are really good and they're inspiring but I don't like to think of them as an inspiration because that's just the way I am. I just admire people who get their head down and work hard and progress up the ranks and get there the hard way. I do need to be more patient with my development really this is my first proper year of racing and to be chosen to represent GB at the Worlds is a great honour. I just need to let it happen instead of pushing it.

JD: And what are your ambitions for the future?
AH: The Worlds: top 5, that would be a progression from last year and next year, well the national XC series of course, they will be a major target for me next year. Unfortunately the Olympics won't be there for me to get experience, which is a shame but I'm not stressing about it, because of the whole points situation. If I'd been mountain biking straight through from being a junior and I'd not got a place, I would have been disappointed but to be honest I just want to medal as an Under 23 - next year is my last year, then I go up to senior, that would be a major goal. Then after that it's just working hard to get to the top in World Cups, but I know I will have to be a bit patient with that goal, that's just not going to happen as quickly as I would have liked it to. You look at the riders that have been at the top, they've been there for a long time, so I'm in no hurry. When 2012 comes, I hope to be top of the senior field. I've got all those years to progress and that is my goal. You've always got to look at the bigger picture and that's my bigger picture, to be at the Olympics, on the podium.

JD: That's a nice way to end - thanks Amy!