Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now local champion cyclist Matt King he has been selected
to represent Australia for the Elite mountain Bike World Championships,
happening in Switzerland on September six. Now, Matt's going to
be the first Elite NTI mountain bike rider to represent
Australia since Kadel Evans. It is an incredible achievement for
(00:23):
an incredible territory and I'm pleased to say that Matt
joins me in the studio. Good morning, Good morning Kadia,
my congratulations, Thank you for the intro. What an incredible
feat for a Territorian to be going away representing your
country wearing the green and gold in Switzerland for mountain biking.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, it's still very surreal. It's it's still sinking in.
It was not on the cards for this year at all.
It was something that we were planning and this year
for us was going to be let's build up, let's
go to these selection races, and then it started to snowball.
We started to get ahead of ourselves with all the
(01:10):
data that we were getting back and then winning the
Convict one hundred race, which was one of the two
big selection races back in May, kind of put us,
you know, on this path to being selected because it
is one of the biggest mountain bike marathon races in
(01:33):
Australia and it just blew us away and yeah, amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Well that was what I was going to ask you, like, how,
you know, how do you qualify for something like this.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah. So it's a panel of three of Australia's top
coaches in mountain biking and they put out a brief
at the start of the finance year so last year,
and said, hey, look these two races the way odysseee
Convict one hundred. These are the two of Australia's premiere
(02:08):
mountain white races. They are what we look at. And
then they put all these other second year ones in.
So I got November last year. We're like, let's let's
do this, you know, let's let's go and see what
we can do. And we started with a first race
(02:30):
in January in Adelaide. It was a gravel race, so
that was we placed fourteenth there and that blew us
away again. We thought, okay, you know, we just finished behind.
I finished one place behind one of the guys that
was selected the previous year for the Mountain bik World
champions team. So we're like, okay, we're in the ballpark.
(02:52):
We're a lot closer than we expected to be. So
we just kept on traveling on and you know, get
in these red eye flights down south to these races,
and it was yeah, it's snowballed from that convict one
hundred win.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Mate, you're saying, we now, who's your team? Who do
you do all this week?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So it's my partner, Kate, my three kids, as you
know in you know, they come love.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I see you everywhere. I see you running with those
three kids, and it warms my heart every time I
see it, because you know, I think to myself, like,
you see me running with my daughter as well and
my son. I think it's beautiful to see you doing
all of that with your kids, and it must be
a juggle for you and your wife. But then when
I hear say we you know it's a team effort, right,
(03:45):
your little family.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Absolutely. Yeah, we're a very tight family. My sister Kiir
and brother in law Kyle, my mum and dad. So
we're a very small type family biological. Then obviously there's
the family of Parker and Darwin Cycling Club and dun
Triathlon club. But yeah, they're they're the big you know,
(04:06):
reason that I do this. It's been like eighteen years
I think since I pulled on the Green and Gold last.
So it's it's just going to be phenomenal for them
to be able to see what I did before. Yeah,
and again for the territory.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
It's awesome. It's absolutely incredible for the territory. And you know,
I think to myself, like I'm the mum of an
almost teenage son who loves going mountain biking, you know,
and you go, wow, how incredible that a Territorian can
do this from Darwin.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, it's it's been I think, especially over the last
ten years with technology increase in We've got a lot
of virtual writing that I do a lot of my
training on. So we can hit these numbers on programs
lug Swift. I can do it indoors, especially during the
(05:04):
wet season when you know I can't get out until
after eight o'clock and then you know I'm trying to
jam all my work into one day and that at home.
But yeah, I think that is helping us a lot. Yeah,
that territory tough mentality that we will have is is
(05:24):
no joke. You know, anyone that's done a Red Eye
with kids and that going to test you. So we
know what it's like to be the underdogs. Most people
don't even know, you know, the territory. So that was
just I think that's a big part of it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Absolutely, Hey, tell me a little bit more about, you know,
the kind of rides, the kind of trials. I guess
it's going to be when you get over to Switzerland,
Like how far do you have to ride? And what
are these trails?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Like? Yeah, so the course this is mountain bike marathon,
so it can be anywhere between eighty and one hundred
and sixty kilometers. Wow, thankfully this one's one hundred and
twenty five kilometers and you look at that and go,
that's not too bad. It's similar to what Convict one
hundred was. One hundred k's way o to see hundred K's.
(06:22):
Where this gets really interesting for most people is one
it's at altitude, so we're at fifteen hundred meters above
sea level where we start in verbier Ais do altitude
training at eighteen hundred meters, so it's only three hundred
meters below that. It tops and goes over peaks of
(06:44):
twenty seven hundred meters with a total elevation gain of
five thousand meters. Wow, so that's you know, I don't know,
a thousand times up duh on high hill. You know
for elevation game, the first ten k the race is
straight up, it's and then you've got two major climbs
(07:05):
after that that's not another fifteen k climb and another
twenty k climeb So then throwing a bit of cold
weather and unpredictability of the pot it's going to be
super challenging. But you know, your territory tough, Yeah, exactly
from the territory.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Territory toughs just thinking about it. But then do you physically, like,
how do you go in terms of competing at that altitude?
Does it make you feel crop or do you sort
of you're okay.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
It can yeah, very much. We're going to see, Like
I think the data that we get after the race
will show that you show the elevated heart rate, it'll
show maybe I'm not being able to push as much power.
It's still an unknown. It's still a like when we
(07:59):
do al To training, we don't do much riding for
about a week or so, so before at altitude because
of how elevated your heart rate is, and then that
the flow on effect that has so getting into Switzerland,
you know, a week before, just like unfortunately we couldn't
(08:21):
do it any earlier with time constraints. But look, it's
it's just I'm going to shut off to that. I'm
just gonna go push as hard as I can do
what I do best, and just let's see how hard
and far.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
I can go. Give it a red hot mate, I
reckon it'll be absolutely awesome. Now. The you know, the
sporting community is so behind you. I think the Northern
Territory community more generally, as they hear you know, like
what defeat this is, I think they're certainly going to
be behind you. I know that the the club has
kicked off a bit of a fundraiser because this is
(08:58):
something that you know, you pay for off your own back. Yes,
it's not a situation where you know you're sponsored to
get over there. So the Darwin Cycling Club have kicked
off a bit of a fundraiser, which I reckon is
excellent because I reckon there'll be people listening this morning going,
do you know what I want to see this territory
and have a red hot go and compete at this level.
People can where can they head to if they are
(09:21):
keen to find out a little bit more and support you.
It's go fund me, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, so yeah exactly. The Cycling Club came to me
and said, hey, we know this is off your back. Unfortunately,
even though it is elite, it's not an Olympic sport,
so there's not as much funding there. And yeah they said,
you know, we want to do this for you, which
I thanked them absolutely so much for. As it is, yeah,
(09:50):
fully funded. You can go to their Facebook page, no
doubt you will have the link.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Yeah, we'll be able to share it exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
And yeah, like people are just chucking down, you know,
enough for a coffee or whatever it is. It's just like, yeah,
it's just phenomenal that, you know, the guys from Park Run,
the Dawn Try Club, all these guys getting behind it.
You know, it's not necessarily cyclists, it's just they understand it.
It's about the territory.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
And isn't that the great thing about the NT Like,
particularly when you look at sports and you look at
you know, the different activities and different things that people
are involved in. And you know, people like they want
to really hold up those that are doing well and
really make sure that you know that they're supporting people
that are doing well. And I love that because sometimes
(10:40):
across Australia you see the tall poppy syndrome. I don't
think we've got it so much here, which I think
is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
It is one of the most beautiful things about the
territory how much we get behind each other. You know,
how much the you know, the park run like four
or five hundred p down on a Saturday morning, Like
as a population that's massive, it is. It's just it's
(11:07):
something different up here. It's it's something special that we
have as territories. Everyone out there is out to just
you know, take the territory to the national and international level.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
It is incredible. Well Matt King, mate, we are pumped
for you. We can't wait to see how you go.
And I'll tell you what, your your wife and your
children will be so proud, as I'm sure your whole
family will be. But yeah, you can't really dinky your
kids when you've got three of them, can you? When
you go for a ride, how do you manage that
they're probably already writing.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Are they luckily two of them are. Yeah, they love
their writing. And Lily, our youngest, is on like a
little shotgun in the middle. Good and she's up there
loving life so awesome. Yeah, it's phenomenal. Good.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Well, mate, it's so good to speak with you this morning.
I really appreciate your time. All the best, and we
may talk to you before then or we'll be certainly
keen to hear how it all goes.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, absolutely, I'll look forward to filling you in there. Yeah,
it's going to be yeah, a few tears as we
cross the line with all the team there.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I bet mate, I bet it's well. It sounds like
it's going to be grueling. It might be a few
tears for your legs.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah, my quads will definitely be crying, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
They will be good on you, Matt, Thanks so much anytime,
Now local champion cyclist Matt King he has been selected
to represent Australia for the Elite mountain Bike World Championships,
happening in Switzerland on September six. Now, Matt's going to
be the first Elite NTI mountain bike rider to represent
Australia since Kadel Evans. It is an incredible achievement for
(00:23):
an incredible territory and I'm pleased to say that Matt
joins me in the studio. Good morning, Good morning Kadia,
my congratulations, Thank you for the intro. What an incredible
feat for a Territorian to be going away representing your
country wearing the green and gold in Switzerland for mountain biking.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, it's still very surreal. It's it's still sinking in.
It was not on the cards for this year at all.
It was something that we were planning and this year
for us was going to be let's build up, let's
go to these selection races, and then it started to snowball.
We started to get ahead of ourselves with all the
(01:10):
data that we were getting back and then winning the
Convict one hundred race, which was one of the two
big selection races back in May, kind of put us,
you know, on this path to being selected because it
is one of the biggest mountain bike marathon races in
(01:33):
Australia and it just blew us away and yeah, amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Well that was what I was going to ask you, like, how,
you know, how do you qualify for something like this.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah. So it's a panel of three of Australia's top
coaches in mountain biking and they put out a brief
at the start of the finance year so last year,
and said, hey, look these two races the way odysseee
Convict one hundred. These are the two of Australia's premiere
(02:08):
mountain white races. They are what we look at. And
then they put all these other second year ones in.
So I got November last year. We're like, let's let's
do this, you know, let's let's go and see what
we can do. And we started with a first race
(02:30):
in January in Adelaide. It was a gravel race, so
that was we placed fourteenth there and that blew us
away again. We thought, okay, you know, we just finished behind.
I finished one place behind one of the guys that
was selected the previous year for the Mountain bik World
champions team. So we're like, okay, we're in the ballpark.
(02:52):
We're a lot closer than we expected to be. So
we just kept on traveling on and you know, get
in these red eye flights down south to these races,
and it was yeah, it's snowballed from that convict one
hundred win.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Mate, you're saying, we now, who's your team? Who do
you do all this week?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So it's my partner, Kate, my three kids, as you
know in you know, they come love.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I see you everywhere. I see you running with those
three kids, and it warms my heart every time I
see it, because you know, I think to myself, like,
you see me running with my daughter as well and
my son. I think it's beautiful to see you doing
all of that with your kids, and it must be
a juggle for you and your wife. But then when
I hear say we you know it's a team effort, right,
(03:45):
your little family.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Absolutely. Yeah, we're a very tight family. My sister Kiir
and brother in law Kyle, my mum and dad. So
we're a very small type family biological. Then obviously there's
the family of Parker and Darwin Cycling Club and dun
Triathlon club. But yeah, they're they're the big you know,
(04:06):
reason that I do this. It's been like eighteen years
I think since I pulled on the Green and Gold last.
So it's it's just going to be phenomenal for them
to be able to see what I did before. Yeah,
and again for the territory.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
It's awesome. It's absolutely incredible for the territory. And you know,
I think to myself, like I'm the mum of an
almost teenage son who loves going mountain biking, you know,
and you go, wow, how incredible that a Territorian can
do this from Darwin.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, it's it's been I think, especially over the last
ten years with technology increase in We've got a lot
of virtual writing that I do a lot of my
training on. So we can hit these numbers on programs
lug Swift. I can do it indoors, especially during the
(05:04):
wet season when you know I can't get out until
after eight o'clock and then you know I'm trying to
jam all my work into one day and that at home.
But yeah, I think that is helping us a lot. Yeah,
that territory tough mentality that we will have is is
(05:24):
no joke. You know, anyone that's done a Red Eye
with kids and that going to test you. So we
know what it's like to be the underdogs. Most people
don't even know, you know, the territory. So that was
just I think that's a big part of it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Absolutely, Hey, tell me a little bit more about, you know,
the kind of rides, the kind of trials. I guess
it's going to be when you get over to Switzerland,
Like how far do you have to ride? And what
are these trails?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Like? Yeah, so the course this is mountain bike marathon,
so it can be anywhere between eighty and one hundred
and sixty kilometers. Wow, thankfully this one's one hundred and
twenty five kilometers and you look at that and go,
that's not too bad. It's similar to what Convict one
hundred was. One hundred k's way o to see hundred K's.
(06:22):
Where this gets really interesting for most people is one
it's at altitude, so we're at fifteen hundred meters above
sea level where we start in verbier Ais do altitude
training at eighteen hundred meters, so it's only three hundred
meters below that. It tops and goes over peaks of
(06:44):
twenty seven hundred meters with a total elevation gain of
five thousand meters. Wow, so that's you know, I don't know,
a thousand times up duh on high hill. You know
for elevation game, the first ten k the race is
straight up, it's and then you've got two major climbs
(07:05):
after that that's not another fifteen k climb and another
twenty k climeb So then throwing a bit of cold
weather and unpredictability of the pot it's going to be
super challenging. But you know, your territory tough, Yeah, exactly
from the territory.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Territory toughs just thinking about it. But then do you physically, like,
how do you go in terms of competing at that altitude?
Does it make you feel crop or do you sort
of you're okay.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
It can yeah, very much. We're going to see, Like
I think the data that we get after the race
will show that you show the elevated heart rate, it'll
show maybe I'm not being able to push as much power.
It's still an unknown. It's still a like when we
(07:59):
do al To training, we don't do much riding for
about a week or so, so before at altitude because
of how elevated your heart rate is, and then that
the flow on effect that has so getting into Switzerland,
you know, a week before, just like unfortunately we couldn't
(08:21):
do it any earlier with time constraints. But look, it's
it's just I'm going to shut off to that. I'm
just gonna go push as hard as I can do
what I do best, and just let's see how hard
and far.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
I can go. Give it a red hot mate, I
reckon it'll be absolutely awesome. Now. The you know, the
sporting community is so behind you. I think the Northern
Territory community more generally, as they hear you know, like
what defeat this is, I think they're certainly going to
be behind you. I know that the the club has
kicked off a bit of a fundraiser because this is
(08:58):
something that you know, you pay for off your own back. Yes,
it's not a situation where you know you're sponsored to
get over there. So the Darwin Cycling Club have kicked
off a bit of a fundraiser, which I reckon is
excellent because I reckon there'll be people listening this morning going,
do you know what I want to see this territory
and have a red hot go and compete at this level.
People can where can they head to if they are
(09:21):
keen to find out a little bit more and support you.
It's go fund me, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, so yeah exactly. The Cycling Club came to me
and said, hey, we know this is off your back. Unfortunately,
even though it is elite, it's not an Olympic sport,
so there's not as much funding there. And yeah they said,
you know, we want to do this for you, which
I thanked them absolutely so much for. As it is, yeah,
(09:50):
fully funded. You can go to their Facebook page, no
doubt you will have the link.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Yeah, we'll be able to share it exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
And yeah, like people are just chucking down, you know,
enough for a coffee or whatever it is. It's just like, yeah,
it's just phenomenal that, you know, the guys from Park Run,
the Dawn Try Club, all these guys getting behind it.
You know, it's not necessarily cyclists, it's just they understand it.
It's about the territory.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
And isn't that the great thing about the NT Like,
particularly when you look at sports and you look at
you know, the different activities and different things that people
are involved in. And you know, people like they want
to really hold up those that are doing well and
really make sure that you know that they're supporting people
that are doing well. And I love that because sometimes
(10:40):
across Australia you see the tall poppy syndrome. I don't
think we've got it so much here, which I think
is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
It is one of the most beautiful things about the
territory how much we get behind each other. You know,
how much the you know, the park run like four
or five hundred p down on a Saturday morning, Like
as a population that's massive, it is. It's just it's
(11:07):
something different up here. It's it's something special that we
have as territories. Everyone out there is out to just
you know, take the territory to the national and international level.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
It is incredible. Well Matt King, mate, we are pumped
for you. We can't wait to see how you go.
And I'll tell you what, your your wife and your
children will be so proud, as I'm sure your whole
family will be. But yeah, you can't really dinky your
kids when you've got three of them, can you? When
you go for a ride, how do you manage that
they're probably already writing.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Are they luckily two of them are. Yeah, they love
their writing. And Lily, our youngest, is on like a
little shotgun in the middle. Good and she's up there
loving life so awesome. Yeah, it's phenomenal. Good.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Well, mate, it's so good to speak with you this morning.
I really appreciate your time. All the best, and we
may talk to you before then or we'll be certainly
keen to hear how it all goes.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, absolutely, I'll look forward to filling you in there. Yeah,
it's going to be yeah, a few tears as we
cross the line with all the team there.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I bet mate, I bet it's well. It sounds like
it's going to be grueling. It might be a few
tears for your legs.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah, my quads will definitely be crying, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
They will be good on you, Matt, Thanks so much anytime,
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