By Marina Gomide
WHEN she’s clocked on, she works behind a desk at a bank, but as soon as she clocks off, she is racing motorbikes on muddy roads across the country and the world.
Ebony Nielson, 24, recently turned this passion into national pride, as her and her teammates, who were representing Australia, placed third in the Women’s World Trophy Team category at the FIM International Six Days of Enduro in France.
The Glass House Mountains local has followed in her father’s footsteps, as he competed in the exact same race back in 1988. Ebony’s journey during the event was nothing short of adrenaline-filled, as she only had a few weeks to obtain her visa, had to switch motorcycles twice before the event even began, nearly ran out of fuel on the fifth day, punctured the rental bikes radiator, and nearly sheered the knobs of her front and back tyres. The motorbike she ended up using, she tested for the first time during the first race.
While the adventure-seeker has participated in various competitions, including being a seven-time Queensland off-road champion, this was her first FMI ISDE, which is the largest FMI event in the world. She had to spend eight hours per day riding a 280km dirt track, for six days. Her mother and fiancé accompanied her to France, serving as emotional support and, in terms of her partner, as a coach.
Off-road motorbiking has been a part of Ebony’s life since she was a baby, with her Beerwah-born father having been an avid rider, competitor, and champion from 1985 to 1992, including being sponsored by Yamaha. Growing up at the base of Mount Beerwah in Glass House Mountains, Ebony’s father exposed her and her brother from a young age to the fun of exploring the hinterland woods on top of a motorcycle.
Ebony’s mother, Wendy, acknowledges the dangers involved in her daughter’s hobby, given the amount of life-threatening or even fatal accidents that can happen, but says she is too proud of her daughter for having such a strong passion to worry about the negatives.
“It’s great when someone can find a real passion in life, something that drives and inspires them to live their life to the fullest… most people go through life without ever having that passion, so if you do, there is no risk too great to make it not worthy,” Wendy said.
The extreme sport has shaped Ebony’s life outside of competing, as well. She met her fiancé at a motorbiking event years ago and offers off-road motorbike coaching in her spare time, to women wanting to learn how to ride in the Glass House area. Her next competition is in Victoria on October 29.