Wise Words is our new interview series talking to some of mountain bikingโs most switched on people.
Weโll ask our short list of questions to a heap of influential, inspiring and outspoken people that we feel are driving the direction of mountain biking today. Some will make you think, some will make you laugh, some will be plain dumb, some will inspire you to better yourself and your riding. We hope!
Wise Words this week comes to you from Mrs. Go-Where Scotland herself, Aneela McKenna.
Juliana ambassador, co-partner at Scottish guiding heavyweights Go-Where Scotland, as well as Diversity and Inclusion Specialist at the Scottish Parliament, Aneela certainly likes to keep herself busy.
Photos by Sven Martin unless stated.
Photo by Sven Martin.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
An energetic explosion of motivation. My friends say they can hear my laugh on the trail long before you see me!
What thing or things have you bought in the last year that had the biggest effect on your life as a mountain biker / cyclist / person that works in the bike industry?
Switching from my beloved Juliana Joplin to her big sister Roubion has been a bit of a mind blower to be honest – itโs got me looking more seriously at all the gnarly lines and Iโm super keen to get better at riding steeper and steeper terrain.
Itโs amazing how itโs changed my mindset about what I want to ride and where. Luckily Iโve got so much on my doorstep (Tweed Valley) to practice on with a rad bunch of lassies.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
I canโt think of too many unusual habits but you can usually hear me before you see me. I tend to make more noise down the trail than anyone else. Iโm known for getting a bit over-excited when Iโm on a good descent and you can hear me hollering and whooping all the way down. I do have to apologise at times!
I also carry a lot of my guide kit with me even when itโs riding with friends because people end up relying on you to be the support/go to person if something goes wrong.
Photo by Jamie Nicoll.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
Never say youโre not good enough or โyou canโtโ achieve something. Surround yourself with people who say โyou canโ. Avoid anyone who says otherwise. This way you will enjoy your riding much more and be motivated to try things and not beat yourself up when you didnโt get it the first time.
If you could go back and re-ride one day from your life so far, where/what/when/who would it be? Would you change anything?
Iโve taught myself not to look backwards. Itโs best to avoid thinking about what you mightโve changed. It ends up messing with your head and itโs usually just trivial nonsense anyhow, like not getting down that drop or shoot first time around. What a total waste of energy!
Maybe itโs age thatโs made me wiser or Andyโs approach to living with MS. He is the most positive hairy human being I know and he makes me live in the moment and appreciate the now, not yesterday or tomorrow.
What have you wasted the most time on in your life as a rider or bike industry career that you wished you’d given up years ago?
Iโve wasted too much time eating Haribo. I follow the same diet as Andy does for his MS (no meat/no processed/high sugar foods etc.). Protein balls are my new trail snack and they are super healthy. Whizz up some dates, nuts, cocoa powder and orange zest and BOOM, youโve got best trail snack ever. And no horses were sacrificed to make them.
Photo by Sven Martin.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
Get out and ride – it clears my head, even better when itโs wet, windy or blowing a hoolie. All it needs is 30 minutes on a bike and I feel like a new person again. Or I often hear myself say itโs time for a โmissionโ ride and thatโs pushing me so out my comfort zone, that whatever I was struggling with I will have conquered it.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
The love of the people in the sport, bikes bring us all together and makes me happy. Itโs like my medicine that keeps me going, whether itโs riding bikes with friends, with Andy or new folks, itโs my way of connecting with the outdoors and other like minded people.
The MTB community is a small one but I have been fortunate to have met some incredible people from working in the industry that I now call good friends.
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
Sexists and misogynists. Thereโs no room for them anymore. Letโs move along.
Photo by Sven Martin.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
To see more women of colour like me in the sport.
Who else should we ask these questions to?
Lucy Grant, Alex Pavone and Polly Henderson.
