Rapid Ascent

Dan and Bec McConnell interview after winning the 2021 Otway Odyssey

Shortly after their wins at the 2021 Otway Odyssey we conducted a live interview with Dan and Bec McConnell at the Forrest Brewery on Saturday afternoon - and here is a recording of that fascinating discussion. Hosted by Adam Kelsall, their conversation starts with how they started on bikes, and expands to include like details on their racing highs and lows overseas, how they celebrate World Cup podiums as well as how their Odyssey victories unfolded and so much more. This is a very honest and insightful interview into the lives of Australia’s best mountain bikers. You’ll also learn if they both rode the ‘Sandy Climb’ at the 90km point… did they or didn’t they?! We thank Dan, Bec and host Adam for their time and attention. (The audio quality for this is 8/10 but it is WELL WORTH tolerating in order to hear what they have to say. This was originally filmed on a Gopro and the video version is here: https://youtu.be/6SeC_lnYY-g).

Ep.12: Update from John & Sam on events and impact of COVID-19

Make sure you tune into the final episode of the Rapid Ascent podcast with your host Ben Hucker and special guests Sam Maffett and John Jacoby. Sam is the General Manager of Rapid Ascent and John was the founder of the company in 2004. They have some important updates for participants doing Rapid Ascent events in 2020. They also share some of their thoughts on the current situation with COVID-19. Be sure to tune in right to the end of the episode for their practical tips on staying fit and healthy and training for events in light of the current circumstances too. It's also farewell from your host Ben Hucker who started the Rapid Ascent podcast in April 2019 but will be finishing up with Rapid Ascent on Tuesday 31 March due to the Corona pandemic. 12 episodes later and nearly 10,000 downloads it's been a blast, to say the least. Ben says a "big thanks to everyone who has supported the show and tuned in to listen. It's been so much fun hosting the podcast and chatting with elite athletes from all over Australia and hearing peoples feedback at events and online. If the stars align then maybe there'll be some more episodes in the future but it's a big farewell and thank you for now. Stay safe out there!" Here's episode 12 of the Rapid Ascent podcast with your host Ben Hucker and guests, John Jacoby & Sam Maffett.

Ep.11: How a talented rugby player switched to elite endurance after knee blowout

We're very excited to announce pro multisport triathlete, Ben Allen, as our guest for Episode 11 of the Rapid Ascent podcast. We've had some ultra runners, adventure racers and mountain bikers to date but Ben is our first pro (off-road) triathlete. Ben has more than a decade of racing experience specialising in the non-drafting format of Triathlon, from 70.3 Ironman, Long Distance, and the XTERRA World Off-Road Triathlon Tour. He popped up on our radar last year when he blitzed the rest of the field at the final Augusta Adventure Fest in November... by a stretch! He's also won the X-Adventure Long course title and competed at the Otway Odyssey a couple of weeks ago. Hear all about the nasty injury that put a halt to Ben's promising career as a professional rugby league player and his switch to a life of elite endurance. Tune in and let us know what you think. Here's episode 11 of the Rapid Ascent podcast with guest, Benny Allen, and your host, Ben Hucker.

Ep.10: A cancer diagnosis at age 17... 2 weeks from MTB World Champs

Brendan Johnston has cemented himself as the most consistently high performing mountain biker in marathon XC events all over Australia in recent years. He has collected 4X National XCM Championships, 19 straight Marathon wins and was a National XCM Series Winner in 2016/17. But he took the long road to get there. At just 17 years of age he had a paratesticular lump that needed to be removed. What followed was a series of operations and months of treatment. The physical and emotional toll was almost insurmountable. All this happened two weeks out from the UCI MTB World Championships in Canberra. Incredibly, Brendan made it to the the start line.  The real challenge was yet to come though. Brendan contracted a nasty infection during treatment. He went into full survival mode... Tune in to hear Brendan's incredible story of courage against adversity and how he went onto become the pro athlete & humble human being he is today. Here's Episode 10 of the Rapid Ascent podcast with your host, Ben Hucker, and guest, Brendan Johnston.

Ep.9: Olympic MTB dreams shattered... what do you do next?

From windy Wellington to sunny Wollongong, Samara Sheppard [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samara_Sheppard] had her sights firmly set on Tokyo 2020. Her Olympic dreams have been shattered though. Changes to the Olympic selection policy made it almost impossible for Samara to qualify. Find out how she still manages to keep a big smile on her face though and hear about her new plans for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships. All the action will be taking place in her adopted hometown of Wollongong, New South Wales. Sheppard was born in Clyde in the South Island of New Zealand. She suffered a series of injuries as a runner which led her to move into cycling as an alternative sport and relocated to Australia in 2016. Tune in to gain a deep insight into the challenges of racing abroad as a self-funded privateer and the mindset of female athlete in a male dominated sport. Samara also talks about her time representing New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast where she finished ninth out of twelve competitors in the women's cross-country competition. Here's Episode 9 of the Rapid Ascent podcast with your host, Ben Hucker, and guest, Samara Sheppard.