Evie Smith, one of our A2 students, has recently become a gold medallist and world record breaker at the age of 17! Evie is a member of the GB Junior team pursuit squad, who set a new world record of 4:20.263 at the European Championships in Portugal and 4.20.263 at the World championships in Apeldoorn. We had the opportunity to talk with her to learn more about her passion for cycling, and how she balances her sporting efforts with daily life.
Evie has had a passion for cycling since she was young, being influenced by her family. As she got older, she became more involved in the world of cycling, stating that her dream “grew through time”.
When asked about role models and inspirations, Evie was quick to praise her team. Evie achieved her world title with four other junior cyclists – Phoebe Taylor, Abi Miller, Erin Boothman and Arabella Blackburn. She describes training with them as a supportive environment, in which “everyone inspires and pushes each other to do better and work harder.”
When faced with difficulties, Evie finds resilience by focusing on her end goal. She stated, “if you do the little things right, they sort of build up to the bigger things.” Additionally, Evie’s family and friends’ unwavering support and belief in her have also contributed to maintaining her motivation through any hardships.
When asked about finding balance between her personal goals and academics, Evie claimed it is “a lot of fitting things in.” She expressed that she is always trying to stay on top of her studies without neglecting her flourishing cycling career. The thought of her hard work paying off in the future is what pushes her to keep going. “And it’s not going to last forever,” she added, “so you just need to keep trying to get through it.”
Cycling has primarily taught Evie that hard work does pay off, and that perseverance is important, especially when things don’t go to plan. She stated that the days leading up to the race “had not been the ideal situation. But then race day came, and everything sort of slotted into place.” This is what encourages Evie to keep on working towards her goals, despite facing adversity along the way.
On the topic of advice Evie would offer to any aspiring cyclists, she recommended to “give it a go or go with friends”, and to “try a lot of different things out” so that you are able to find something you’re passionate about. She advises that it should be enjoyable, not forced, as “then you’re more likely to stay in it.”
Evie hopes to continue her cycling career into the future. A general goal of hers is to keep on improving and doing her best. She aims to move up in the GB program, and added “if I could go to the Olympics, that would be a main goal.” And, with her record-breaking expertise and resilience, we have no doubt that she’ll be able to achieve her aspirations in the years ahead.
