Sara Mills was born in South Africa to parents who were incredibly passionate about bikes, but it wasn’t until her family immigrated to Australia that Sara began to focus on a career in cycling.
At only 19 years old in her relatively brief career she has achieved far more than most girls her age. With countless podium finishes in State and National mountain bike and road bike races under her belt and international appearances at the MTB Oceania’s and the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under she has proven she belongs in the pro-women’s peloton.
Sara’s passion and drive for the sport comes from her positive attitude and self-awareness. She said she focuses on improving her skills and striving to be the best she can be.
Sara loaned us some of her time to answer a few questions about her professional career and to offer a couple of tips for riders of the Bowral Classic.
You’re just 19 but already have some impressive results; can you give us a brief history of your cycling career to date?
I actually haven’t been racing very long, maybe just over 2 years now. I started riding in 2014 and came from a swimming background, but always rode my bike, as that’s what my parents did in South Africa.
When I was 15 I attended a junior development camp run by the state on the heaviest road bike around, but I kept up with the other girls and loved the challenge. From there I got hungry to be the best I could and I’ve been racing MTB and road since I was 16.
I’ve raced all around Australia from state rounds all the way to international competition at the MTB Oceania’s in 2015.
I achieved my first sponsorship when I was 17 with JetBlack Products and raced for BH Australia. I was also a guest rider for the NSWIS NKC women’s team at the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under but was very unprepared for the leap in competition.
This year I’m racing for Pivot Australia on the MTB and Hogs Breath Tineli NRS team. I am very hard on myself and I’ve never been able to accept second best for myself, but I think my attitude towards racing has matured since I started.
I try not to expect too much of myself and focus on self-improvement and encouraging more women to race and ride. The balance of training, coffee rides, racing and fun MTB rides are essential to a successful career.
Do you have a career highlight?
I have two! One on the MTB and one on the roadie
MTB: Winning the Elite Women Convict 100 50km and finishing the race in under two hours.
Road: Winning the U19 NSW Road Championships in 2015. I rolled across the line with the elite women, which was pretty cool.
What motivates you to cycle?
Everything around me… The feeling of freedom. For me it’s the closest thing to flying! The people also are a huge factor! I’m very fond of the girls I train with in my cycling club… Oh and the coffees after!
What are your tips for preparing for the Bowral Classic?
Make sure your equipment is in working order and appropriate for the event you’re doing. Also to pace yourself and eat, the key to any endurance or long event is to make sure you can sustain an effort and have enough fuel to support that.
What is your preferred way to recover after a tough ride?
– Well coffee is a MUST! (Unanimous there, ha ha.) Food wise I tend to go for a bowl of oatbran with almond milk, and 1/2 a banana mixed with protein powder. Great carbs and protein for recovery plus it’s very tasty. Otherwise I usually have about four to six bananas with cacao nibs and cinnamon. It depends what I feel like and the weather.
The Bowral Classic course is undulating but it has a nasty pinch towards the end, what is your tip for taking on this testing climb?
Well, at the end of any big ride, your legs are pretty drained. However you should have energy left if you’ve paced yourself I would suggest your easiest gear and just tap away at the climb. It’s like the saying ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time?’
Where do you normally ride, and what is your favourite place to ride?
I’m extremely privileged to have it all where I live. I have endless hills that lead to the ocean, and flats perfect for recovery and TT efforts at the foothills of the Blue Mountains. My local MTB Park is also only 15km, which makes a great warm-up for training sessions. My favourite place to ride would probably be Church Point and out to Westhead lookout. It is a brutal course to race but incredibly beautiful to cruise along. There’s often a wallaby out on the side of the road that makes a cool training buddy to race against.
What would you say to someone who has ridden up to 50km before, but is now thinking of doing the 90k Midi?
Mental state of mind is your biggest ally or worst enemy. Whether you think you can or you think you can’t… You’re probably right. I would say to them that it key is to break it down. If they’re comfortable riding 50km then adding another 40km is only doing 10km four times through, or 5km eight times
I would also suggest doing it with a friend. Having somebody there is a great option as you can both push each other and enjoy the success at the end together.
