Ashleigh's Story - Discovering Talent

Ashleigh's cycling journey began with a chance discovery of her talent and evolved into an illustrious career filled with determination, resilience, and success.

"I would never have ended up on Rocacorba if Carl—or rather his father—hadn't noticed my cycling talent," Ashleigh recalls. "Carl and I met at Stellenbosch University in 2005. During the holidays, I went with him to his family in Knysna. He was a triathlete, and his whole family was sporty. I brought my mother's heavy hybrid bike to join a ride with them. Despite my lack of proper gear, I easily kept up with everyone. Later that evening, I heard Carl and his father discussing how strong I was. 'She has talent,' his father said. Carl started encouraging me to pursue cycling. 'You are so talented,' he kept saying, 'you can become one of the best cyclists in the world. You can become world champion.' I thought: you're sweet, but this doesn't make any sense, you're crazy."

Despite initial skepticism, Ashleigh's journey began with a beginner's road bike and local races. Her first race in Knysna, starting with a climb, was challenging.

"Carl thought I would immediately drop everyone and win. Of course, that didn't happen; I finished around twentieth place. We were both disappointed. He asked, 'What happened?' I said, 'I went as hard as I could, but I wasn't strong enough.' Carl replied, 'I don't believe you, you didn't go as hard as you could.' This discussion repeated after subsequent races. Luckily I enjoyed racing and kept going."

A pivotal race in Stellenbosch marked a turning point. Racing with veteran men, Ashleigh stayed with the top men on a climb, realising what Carl had been encouraging her to see.

"In the races before, I always stayed in my comfort zone and never went into the red. This was a turning point for me. Suddenly, I got it."

After nearly more than fifteen seasons in the professional peloton, her love for racing remains strong.  Ashleigh's journey is a testament to pushing beyond comfort zones, embracing challenges, and continuously striving for improvement—values she now imparts to the next generation of cyclists.