Webmaster posted on October 24, 2009 10:12
Yamaha rider Jemma Wilson proved she is among the top-four fastest female enduro racers on the planet at the recent International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) held at Figueira da Foz, Portugal.
Wilson, 20, from Brisbane’s southside, arrived on home soil late this week after riding to a podium finish with her teammates Alison Parker and Jacqui Jones in the Women’s World Cup category.
Wilson was the highest-placing Australian woman rider in the event - which ran from October 12th to 17th - coming fourth and receiving an individual Gold Medal.
If Wilson had been scored with the men in her respective class (Enduro 1), she would have finished on a Silver medal.
“Being involved with such a huge event and being part of the first Australian women’s ISDE team in history was an unreal feeling,” Wilson said.
“The atmosphere was insane, there were 443 riders from 24 nations, so walking through the pit area was a real buzz.
“The opening ceremony was incredible. When they announced ‘Team Australia’ and we went up on to the stage, I was almost crying.
“To be part of it and to be a rider on the Wellard Australian Team was great. We had great uniforms, so you really felt part of the team and all the supporters, the team management and Wellard were awesome.
“Because of all their hard work all I had to do was ride and that made it so much easier.
“I would like to give a huge thanks to Wellard, they helped so much, offering not only incredible financial support but also lots of support and encouragement, so thank you so much to them.”
Wilson said the six-day race, in which they were on their machines for about seven hours each day and had to do all the mechanical repairs and maintenance themselves, was not as tough as she had expected.
“The ISDE is the longest and toughest enduro race in the world and I’d been told a lot of stories about just how hard it was going to be to finish,” Wilson said.
“I went over there prepared for something impossible and with the goal just to finish.
“From what I’ve been told this wasn’t a hard six day and I didn’t find it that difficult.
“Some of the trail sections were hard, like the sandy whoop section and some of the rock drop off’s, but you knew you just had to get through them and then you were on your way home, so that got me through them.
“A lot of the special tests were deep sand, also, which was a bit hard to get used to, but I was surprised how quickly I adapted.
“I never expected to be posting times as fast as I did and I never expected we would get third as a team - it was unreal to do so well our first year.
“Ludivine Puy, from France, who won, was really fast, but from second place to sixth there wasn’t much difference.
“I know I can improve on my result and do better for the team if I get selected again next year, I got a few second places in special tests and will make sure to have more upper body strength next year so I can push hard all event.”
France won the Women’s World Cup category, followed by Sweden and Australia.
Next year’s ISDE will be held in Mexico.
Jemma Wilson is the number one female enduro racer in Australia, ranked fourth in the world (from results at the 2009 ISDE) and is current Queensland Women’s Enduro Champion.
Jemma aims to become the fastest female enduro racer in the country and hopefully represent Australia at several more ISDE's.
Jemma also manages to fit study and work into her racing and training schedule, she is currently working as a law clerk and studying Law at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Jemma would like to thank her sponsors: QUEENSLAND YAMAHA OFF-ROAD TEAM, CABOOLTURE MOTORCYCLES, RAMPANT CLOTHING, YAMALUBE, MPE SUSPENSION, FOX, KWALA RACING and McINNES WILSON LAWYERS