Zoe Cuthbert is a mountain biker who was awarded a Tier 2 Scholarship within the 2021 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program.
Zoe was born in Canberra in 2001 and started riding as an eight-year-old. Her mother Tara was an elite rock climber and her father Paul an accomplished ultra-marathon runner, and family holidays were full of off-road adventures.
She raced alongside her mother in her first ever race at a Canberra Off-Road Cyclist club event, and finished last after her chain fell off. Since then, the results have improved dramatically.
Zoe specialises in the Cross-Country discipline and has represented Australia since 2018. The following year was a breakout year as she won gold in the junior category in Cross Country Olympic, Cross Country Short Course, Relay and Gravity Enduro at the national championships. She then won gold at the Oceania Championships in Cross Country Olympic and finished fifth in juniors at the World Championships. These feats earned her the title of Cycling Australia and Mountain Bike Australia Junior Mountain Biker of the Year.
In 2020, she qualified for another Australian team, and won another gold at the Oceania Championships, as well as winning the national championships in Cross Country Olympic in the U/23 category.
Zoe now rides for the Trek Shimano Australia racing team and is known for placing a local flower on her bike before a race, and watching to see how long it stays on. She is also heavily involved in coaching riders in Canberra and organising local races, as well as building mountain bike trails throughout Australia and studying a Bachelor of Design.
“Receiving this Scholarship helps me continue to do the sport I love. Its support will help me to improve my riding skills and fitness, allowing me to chase my dreams of competing on the world stage.” – Zoe Cuthbert on being selected as a 2021 Tier 2 Scholarship Holder.
Awards, Honours & Achievements
- 2019-2018: Australian team within age category and Australia team as part of the 5-person relay team
- 2019: World Championships XC Olympic – 5th Junior (last year in U19)
- 2019: Oceania Championships XC Olympic – 1st Junior
- 2019: Australian National championships – 1st Junior (I was National champion across 4 disciplines: XC Olympic, short course, relay, and Gravity Enduro)
- 2019: Cycling Australia and Mountain Bike Australia Junior mountain biker of the year
- 2019: National Champion in four disciplines – XC Olymic, XC Relay, XC short course, Gravity Enduro
- 2020: Oceania Championships XC Olympic – 1st Junior
- 2020: Australian National Championships XC Olympic – 1st Junior (first year in U23)
- 2020: World Championships Australian Team
- 2021: Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship Holder – Tier 2
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Bio picture credit: Angus McKendrick
