Scout the results of last’s weekend’s UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano, and you will see a certain Brazilian, Raiza Goulão-Henrique, nestled in at 34th position out of 78 starters.
Nothing amazing at first glance. Except that this ambitious young 24-year-old dreams of representing her country at Rio 2016. And to do so she is investing her all – physically and financially. It is her second season as an Elite rider, and she has decided to spend a lot of it in Europe where the task is not so easy.
“Due to the number and the level of the other athletes, it is more difficult for me to acquire qualification points. But I’ve decided not to just chase points at smaller races where the courses are not very challenging and the level is not as high. I’m taking the risk to invest in high level races where my potential competitors for Rio 2016 will be.”
It was her second Pan American U23 title in 2013 that planted the seed in her mind for Rio 2016.
“I thought that if I continued working hard with my coach, Cadu Polazzo, and was totally dedicated, I would have a chance to qualify. It was a dream. Now I go to sleep, wake up and train every day in search of making this dream possible.”
Her campaign started well with several top-10 results in different European races. She will compete in five rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano, but will miss the round in Switzerland, which clashes with the Pan American Games in Toronto.
“My only fear when I decided to race in Europe was to end up being just an adventurous Brazilian, rather than a performance athlete."
"But the results are starting to come. I’ve always known that I would need to race outside Brazil to raise my level and collect points.”
It’s a far cry from her home in Perenópolos, a little town in the state of Goiás where her life is calm, there is little traffic and she can benefit from the countless trails around her home, the mountains and two cross-country courses that she built herself.
“I don’t mean to abandon my home town, where I have a balanced life, but I intend to share my base between there and Europe. It’s not easy, especially budget wise, but I’ll keep working at it.”
She has made Kleve, Germany, her European base thanks to prominent mountain bike coach and manager Leo Van Zeeland and his family who have opened the doors of their home to welcome the young Brazilian into their midst.
Brazil is not particularly well-known in the world of women’s mountain biking. So how did Raiza Goulão come to take up this cycling speciality?
“I started mountain biking as a hobby at the end of 2009. At that time I was manager of a small café in my home town and was able to juggle work, university and bike rides.
“I think what got me hooked at first was the sense of freedom and being in the nature. But quickly I realised that was not all. I was having a lot of fun, challenging myself more and more and improving fast.”
Her description of the beauty of mountain biking is one that only mountain bikers could relate to:
“The challenge of conquering a climb and being able to go down in places that really scare me.”
This season she is working on her start and her strength on climbing sections. She says her third weakness is being too hard on herself. Nerves can also play a role in her performance:
“I can’t help it. I start getting anxious the day before the race but I always try to relax and have fun. It also helps me to go to church the day before a race. Even which I don’t understand the language, I find it peaceful. But being nervous is part of me."
Her chosen sport has helped her develop mental strength, learn to be humble and increase her independence by travelling the world alone.
Qualification for Rio 2016 would be the recognition of her hard work and, she hopes, a kick start for a longer international career. But she is quick to add:
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about an Olympic medal, but if I do earn a spot to race in Rio, I want to have the level of my competitors and make my home crowd proud.”
Raiza Goulão will be lining up in Albstadt, Germany, this weekend for the second XCO round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano.