I don’t even know where to start – I’m still completely over the moon.
Let’s go back to September 17th, 2025 — the day this whole journey began. I entered an online giveaway by Unlimited Colors, a frame painting company from the Netherlands. You could win a custom-painted frame. I remember writing the caption and thinking… why not go all in? I wrote this in the caption…
I won it, and from this moment, everything changed.
That moment sparked something in me. I started reaching out to sponsors, committed fully to training, and found a level of focus and motivation I hadn’t felt in a long time.
From there, everything shifted. I trained harder than ever, in the gym and on the bike, always with one clear goal in mind: becoming World Champion. Along the way, I was incredibly lucky to have amazing support — Canyon, Hunt Wheels, Pedro’s, Iriedaily, Phieres, Maxxis, and GoPro believed in me. I also had a strong team around me: a mental coach, a breath coach, and my physio Marcel, who kept me going no matter what.
At the end of October, we headed south to train in Italy, France, and Spain. It was intense and then, at the end of November, I injured my ankle in the most random way, just stepping out of the van. I went home to recover and spent almost every day working with my physio to get back on track.
After Christmas, Canyon sent me a Sender frame to be painted and a brand-new bike to keep training. Winter in Austria isn’t exactly ideal for downhill, but I made it work. In January, I trained at the Schöckl and even built heated grips myself just to keep my hands from freezing.
In February, we headed back south – Finale Ligure and Cumiana. That trip was tough, but incredibly effective. Back home, I built up my custom bike, and soon after, it was time to fly to Chile.
We arrived on a Saturday and rushed south the next day to the race venue. I managed only half a day on the track because of strong winds – and then I got seriously sick. I spent the entire week in bed, just hoping I’d recover in time. The following weekend didn’t go as planned either – rain, closed lifts, barely any riding. Even the pre-race got cancelled due to extreme weather and snow.
Looking back, it might have been a blessing. I wasn’t fully healthy yet, and those conditions would have taken even more out of me.
Then came race week. The sun finally came out, the snow melted, and the track was perfect. From the very first run, I felt it – I was ready. I felt strong, happy, and completely in sync with my bike. With every run, I got faster. I made a bold decision to run a very hard suspension setup – more air, a stiffer spring. The track was fast, and with that setup, I was flying.
I won my qualifying category (B1, 40–44), but not the overall women’s time. And even though I had won my class, I wasn’t satisfied. I didn’t come all this way just to win my age group – I wanted to be the fastest woman on the mountain. Full stop.
Final day.
I did one run in the morning and stopped. Normally, I always do two. But this time, I knew. That was my limit, my perfect run. I trusted that everything I had done leading up to this moment was enough. My mindset was exactly where it needed to be.
Then I dropped in.
I rode the race of my life smart, powerful, fully committed. No hesitation.
And at the bottom, it was clear: I was the fastest woman of all categories.
World Champion.
I’m so damn proud of myself.
I want to thank Alex, Martin, Kamil, Roberto, Marcel, Jack, Anja, Matteo, Tizi, Matias and all my sponsor and friends for you support.
Pictures from Mariano Diaz (@marianodiaz11)
