Photos Jerry Landrum, BMX Mania
Name: Caroline Buchanan
Discipline: BMX and 4cross mountain bike racing.
Place of Birth: Canberra Australia
Cycling Club: CORC and ACTBMX
Occupation: Athlete
Number of years you have been riding: 15 years
First race experience:
At the Tuggeranong BMX track at the age of 5 I followed my brother into the sport into the sport and never looked back.
Career highlight:
Wining my 1st 4cross Mountain Bike World Championship in my home town in 2009 with
10,000 screaming spectators. Being the home town favorite, all the pressure on my
shoulders, overcoming odds and injury it was the best feeling I have experienced.
Injuring my back whilst training overseas 2 years ago and having
ongoing issues since.
Next big career goal – 2011 and beyond?
Winning BMX Gold for Australia at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Have you competed in any other sports than cycling?
Yes, when I was younger I was interested in all sports Tennis, Golf, Teakwondo, Netball, Oztag, Swimming, Gymnastics you name it I played it.
Have you ever caused a crash? If so, give the details.
At my very 1st Mountain Bike World Championships I attended in the 4cross discipline, I was riding bar to bar with Mio Suemasa from China to qualify through to the next round. We both were not willing to back off and we both crashed. I was knocked out and stretched off to the hospital with suspected neck injuries, but was ok :)
Any bike related injuries?
A bruised ego and broken heart at the 2010 BMX World Championships in South Africa when I was 2nd fastest qualifier coming into the semi final and the fastest qualifier had just been eliminated in the semi final before mine. Knowing that I was now the fastest person on the track my pants got caught on my break leaver coming out of the gate and my weekend was over.
Any pre-race rituals?
I always have a PowerBar gel 15 minutes before I head up to race at large competitions.
Any secret race foods?
Generally everything and anything healthy that I can get my hands on.
What is the best singletrack that you have ridden?
I love "Burm Track" at Stromlo Forest Park Canberra. It is
roughly a 2 minute course starting at the bridge half way up Mt Stromlo full of stitchbacks, brumes, little rock garden, rollers and jumps.
Worst/weirdest habit:
Setting my alarm to the latest second before I have to run out the door.
Most embarrassing moment:
Reading out loud in school and pronouncing gigantic …GIG-A-NA-TIC…It was a long time ago.
Any secret skills?
Multitasking :)
Saying I live by…
"Be Yourself!! Because Everyone Else Is Taken"
What is your signature dish?
Taco Salad
What I don’t find amusing is:
Crashes!!
What would you spend your last $10 on?
Fooooooood
One thing people don’t know about you...
I dribble when I sleep…
When you were growing up what did you want to be?
An air hostess..until I started traveling and realised I wanted to spend the least amount of time possible on a plane.
My most treasured possession/s:
My Bulldog puppy.