Mari Todd
Mari giving Emma Pooley a climbing lesson!
Finding the balance between work, family, training and racing is hard but Mari manages to do this brilliantly. The mum of two is known to be a dab hand at baking: a real talent!
It is hard to think of another cyclist in Scotland who is as accomplished as Mari, across such a wide range of cycling disciplines: cyclocross, road, time trialling, mountain biking and the track. Maybe it's time for Mari to get a BMX!
Growing up in the hilly part of Argyll, Mari's love of climbing and desire to race was born. Mari's talents as an athlete have not gone unnoticed; in 1999 Mari rode for the Team GB road team.
Mari is currently the Scottish Olympic, hill climb and 10 mile time trial champion, holding the female course record for the Tour de Trossachs. On the track, Mari regained her European Masters Track Pursuit title as well as being the Scottish Pursuit champion.
It is hard to think of another cyclist in Scotland who is as accomplished as Mari, across such a wide range of cycling disciplines: cyclocross, road, time trialling, mountain biking and the track. Maybe it's time for Mari to get a BMX!
Growing up in the hilly part of Argyll, Mari's love of climbing and desire to race was born. Mari's talents as an athlete have not gone unnoticed; in 1999 Mari rode for the Team GB road team.
Mari is currently the Scottish Olympic, hill climb and 10 mile time trial champion, holding the female course record for the Tour de Trossachs. On the track, Mari regained her European Masters Track Pursuit title as well as being the Scottish Pursuit champion.
Tory Hunter
Mari, Tory and Cat on their way to gold in the Scottish Team Time Trial Championship
Before taking up cycling, Tory enjoyed motorbike racing. After a serious crash (from which Tory made a full recovery), she traded in her motorbike for a push-bike.
Tory has an impressive collection of medals from various Scottish cycling time trials. Last year alone Tory (along with Mari) took the team gold at the 10 mile championships in Fort William, individual silver and team gold (with Jay) in the 25 mile championship and she was also part of the gold winning team at the team time trial championships.
Tory has an impressive collection of medals from various Scottish cycling time trials. Last year alone Tory (along with Mari) took the team gold at the 10 mile championships in Fort William, individual silver and team gold (with Jay) in the 25 mile championship and she was also part of the gold winning team at the team time trial championships.
Gillian Palmer
The first of the girls to join Sandy Wallace, Gillian was a competitive runner, competing at an International level. Under 23 Champion at both 5km and 3km distances, Gillian was on the Scotland Commonwealth squad. She has always done a bit of cycling, using it as a form of cross training. Persistent injuries caused Gillian to see sense, making her ditch the running in favour of road racing.
Gillian quickly realised that road racing is not simply about being a strong athlete. Lacking cycling experience, Gillian struggled with the tactics, bunch riding and confidence required for competitive road racing.
Gillian's cycling ambitions have now taken her in a different direction. Combining her talents as a runner with her love of cycling, Gillian is now concentrating her efforts on duathlons. In her first ever duathlon, Gillian demonstrated her massive potential in this area, only being kept off the top spot on the podium by reigning world duathlon champion, Catriona Morrison.
Long ago, Gillian made a promise to Jon Kelly, assuring him that one day she would win a road race and with the support from her SWWR team mates, 2011 looks like the year to fulfil this promise! Gillian also looks forward to helping out her team, riding as a super climbing domestique.
Gillian quickly realised that road racing is not simply about being a strong athlete. Lacking cycling experience, Gillian struggled with the tactics, bunch riding and confidence required for competitive road racing.
Gillian's cycling ambitions have now taken her in a different direction. Combining her talents as a runner with her love of cycling, Gillian is now concentrating her efforts on duathlons. In her first ever duathlon, Gillian demonstrated her massive potential in this area, only being kept off the top spot on the podium by reigning world duathlon champion, Catriona Morrison.
Long ago, Gillian made a promise to Jon Kelly, assuring him that one day she would win a road race and with the support from her SWWR team mates, 2011 looks like the year to fulfil this promise! Gillian also looks forward to helping out her team, riding as a super climbing domestique.
Ishbel Taromsari
One of the newest riders to join SWWR, Ishbel brings far more to the team than just her tenacity on the bike. Ishbel's fantastic sense of humour ensures that fun is always had. She is set to make an incredible impression when she takes part in her first race!
A newcomer to cycling, Ishbel was persuaded to take up cycling by her (non-identical, Sharon!) twin brother, Craig.
Ishbel has thrown herself into cycling with gusto. Brilliant times ahead with this lady!
A newcomer to cycling, Ishbel was persuaded to take up cycling by her (non-identical, Sharon!) twin brother, Craig.
Ishbel has thrown herself into cycling with gusto. Brilliant times ahead with this lady!
Catriona Phin
Cat and Tommy Lamb, chairman of Ulster Cycling
A triathlete in a previous life (we're drilling it out of her!), Catriona is a modest member of the team with a talent for climbing. Catriona joined SWWR last year after winning the inaugural Lake of Menteith APR Feminine.
Cat made up one half of the SWWR team that went to the Ras na mBan in September 2010, earning the prize for first vet while also ensuring that team mate Jay was not dropped on the climbs.
In August 2010, Catriona was part of the record breaking 2010 team time trial crew, taking gold almost 7 minutes ahead of the silver medallists!
Despite her easy going personality, Catriona has offended much plant life, with gorse bushes taking particular offence to her presence.
Cat made up one half of the SWWR team that went to the Ras na mBan in September 2010, earning the prize for first vet while also ensuring that team mate Jay was not dropped on the climbs.
In August 2010, Catriona was part of the record breaking 2010 team time trial crew, taking gold almost 7 minutes ahead of the silver medallists!
Despite her easy going personality, Catriona has offended much plant life, with gorse bushes taking particular offence to her presence.
Lara McLean
Jay and Lara taking the prize for first women in the 2010 Ice Breaker 2-up
Another of the Sandy Wallace women to be first female in the Etape Caledonia, Lara is another recovering triathlete.
With two young daughters and a career as a geriatrician, it is hard to imagine how Lara manages to find the time to train.
Last year, aside from her emphatic win in the Ice Breaker 2-up TTT, Lara qualified in her age group for the World Duathlon Championships in Edinburgh. Here she finished 19th in her category.
Lara loves nothing more than getting out for a training ride with the Falkirk Bike Club on a Thursday night, rubbing shoulders with professionals and members of Scotland's Commonwealth 2010 squad.
Lara is another Sandy Wallace woman with fantastic climbing ability.
With two young daughters and a career as a geriatrician, it is hard to imagine how Lara manages to find the time to train.
Last year, aside from her emphatic win in the Ice Breaker 2-up TTT, Lara qualified in her age group for the World Duathlon Championships in Edinburgh. Here she finished 19th in her category.
Lara loves nothing more than getting out for a training ride with the Falkirk Bike Club on a Thursday night, rubbing shoulders with professionals and members of Scotland's Commonwealth 2010 squad.
Lara is another Sandy Wallace woman with fantastic climbing ability.
Sharon Doyle
Sharon hiding the pain during the 2010 Scottish Hill Climb Championship
Sharon got involved with cycling when she and her husband joined The Ivy CC. Both of the Doyles demonstrated huge cycling potential. There is now an impressive trophy cabinet in the Doyle home!
Recently, Sharon added to this at the Scottish Hill Climb Championships, taking both the bronze medal and the team prize (along with Mari).
A natural climber (yeah, another one!), Sharon is equally at home in time trials.
Off the bike, Sharon is a talented musician. Indeed, music brought Sharon and her hubby together, as they sat next to each other in the strings section of the Scottish Youth Orchestra. Sharon now works as a music teacher, while also raising her two daughters.
Recently, Sharon added to this at the Scottish Hill Climb Championships, taking both the bronze medal and the team prize (along with Mari).
A natural climber (yeah, another one!), Sharon is equally at home in time trials.
Off the bike, Sharon is a talented musician. Indeed, music brought Sharon and her hubby together, as they sat next to each other in the strings section of the Scottish Youth Orchestra. Sharon now works as a music teacher, while also raising her two daughters.
Jenni Nicholson
A recent addition to the team, Jenni is a double world champion, winning two rainbow jerseys at the World Masters Track Championships in Portugal.
Jenni got into cycling to keep fit after giving up playing hockey.
Jenni got into cycling to keep fit after giving up playing hockey.
Gemma Neill
Chantel and Gemma at the end of Cody's Challenge, January 2011
A first year nursing student at Dundee University, Gemma is a relative newcomer to cycling. Having competed at a national level in basketball, Gemma's strength and potential as an athlete has been identified by Scottish Cycling, earning her a place on the 'Gold4Glasgow' talent programme.
2010 saw Gemma take her first tentative steps into bike racing, participating in track cycling at Dundee's Caird Park and trying out road racing.
Gemma loves nothing more than furious descending, especially while out riding with her SWWR team mates, Jay and Ishbel.
2010 saw Gemma take her first tentative steps into bike racing, participating in track cycling at Dundee's Caird Park and trying out road racing.
Gemma loves nothing more than furious descending, especially while out riding with her SWWR team mates, Jay and Ishbel.
Chantel Clark
Ulster cycling chairman, Tommy Lamb, showing Chantel the way
The youngest of the racing ladies, Chantel is no stranger to racing. Chantel started out life as a triathlete. However, a nasty encounter with a hill race left Chantel with torn ligaments at the tender age of 15. This effectively ended any aspirations towards a running career. Chantel realised that the only sport worth continuing with was cycling and this is now where her focus lies.
Chantel is passionate about sport and intends to pursue a career in the field after she completes her Sports Science degree at Dundee University.
Chantel has experienced success as a junior time trialist, coming first in the Scottish Junior BAR and second in the British Junior BAR. Chantel's favourite cycling experience was getting a new PB at the British 10 mile time trial championship.
Sticking with her time trialling roots, Chantel is planning to make her mark in the British Universities Time Trial Championships this year. However, she is keen to ride the boards and is looking forward to heading to Newport with her Sandy Wallace Cycles clubmates.
Chantel is passionate about sport and intends to pursue a career in the field after she completes her Sports Science degree at Dundee University.
Chantel has experienced success as a junior time trialist, coming first in the Scottish Junior BAR and second in the British Junior BAR. Chantel's favourite cycling experience was getting a new PB at the British 10 mile time trial championship.
Sticking with her time trialling roots, Chantel is planning to make her mark in the British Universities Time Trial Championships this year. However, she is keen to ride the boards and is looking forward to heading to Newport with her Sandy Wallace Cycles clubmates.
Tina Reid
Tina is the newest member of SWWR and also the most geographically remote, living near Twickenham. Tina is working her way back to fitness after breaking her left ankle and foot in two places while preparing for a time trial in 2010. It was Tina's love of beautiful Orbea bikes that initially put her in touch with Sandy.
Kate Russell
2010 was a quiet year on the bike for Kate. And with very good reason: the birth of her first child, Zac. Zac is unofficially the mascot of the women's team. He is credited with inspiring Jay's first (and only - to date) road race win.
Originally hailing from New Zealand, Kate and husband Jed have spent many holidays touring on bikes. Kate particularly loved the challenges of hauling a heavily laden touring bike through the Pyrenees and Alps. For Kate this was a great way to keep fit while doing something interesting. When back in Scotland, Kate looked for new challenges to keep her interested in cycling. These challenges came in the form of the Bealach na Ba Challenge and the Etape Caledonia. Kate's success at these events (2nd woman in the Etape Caledonia in 2008, just behind our Lara) encouraged her to start bike racing.
A resident of Inverkeithing, Sandy Wallace Cycles is Kate's local bike shop. Over the years, Sandy, Joe and the team in the shop have kept Kate right. When Sandy started to develop the women's team, he asked Kate to join up.
Kate's passion for cycling and hours spent watching the Tour de France mean that her tactical awareness is superb; it was Kate who organised Jay and Tory at the women's race in Meigle, ensuring that the all SWWR break pulled out a fantastic lead.
Originally hailing from New Zealand, Kate and husband Jed have spent many holidays touring on bikes. Kate particularly loved the challenges of hauling a heavily laden touring bike through the Pyrenees and Alps. For Kate this was a great way to keep fit while doing something interesting. When back in Scotland, Kate looked for new challenges to keep her interested in cycling. These challenges came in the form of the Bealach na Ba Challenge and the Etape Caledonia. Kate's success at these events (2nd woman in the Etape Caledonia in 2008, just behind our Lara) encouraged her to start bike racing.
A resident of Inverkeithing, Sandy Wallace Cycles is Kate's local bike shop. Over the years, Sandy, Joe and the team in the shop have kept Kate right. When Sandy started to develop the women's team, he asked Kate to join up.
Kate's passion for cycling and hours spent watching the Tour de France mean that her tactical awareness is superb; it was Kate who organised Jay and Tory at the women's race in Meigle, ensuring that the all SWWR break pulled out a fantastic lead.
Jay Burgess
Absolutely no respect for horticulture. Shameful.
With her trademark ponytail, women's captain Jay is always easily recognisable on the bike. Having dipped her toe into the racing pond in 2009, Jay decided to get a bit more serious about her cycling in 2010. After chatting to Jon Kelly at the 2009 club dinner, Jay approached Jon, asking him to start coaching her.
And that, as they say, is history. Or at least where history begins!
Jay's focus for the 2010 racing season was time trialling, participating in the Fife midweek time trial league. During the summer, Jay would frequently cycle through to Fife to compete, before making the return leg home, clocking up over 100 miles.
However, the highlights of Jay's season came not against the clock but in road racing. In the Scottish Vets and Women's series, Jay's fifth, first and second places were sufficient to earn her the series winner's jersey. PINK! (her favourite colour)
For Jay, the 2010 Ras na mBan has been her most positive cycling experience. Doing two races on the same day was intimidating for Jay. Her efforts were rewarded when she went to refuel that evening; as she made her way to the head of the buffet queue, she was bombarded with congratulations about her performance. More concerned with filling her plate, Jay did not realise that she had come second in the time trial! By the end of the weekend, Jay had three prizes to collect. Along with Cat's prize, SWWR had truly made their mark on the racing scene.
And that, as they say, is history. Or at least where history begins!
Jay's focus for the 2010 racing season was time trialling, participating in the Fife midweek time trial league. During the summer, Jay would frequently cycle through to Fife to compete, before making the return leg home, clocking up over 100 miles.
However, the highlights of Jay's season came not against the clock but in road racing. In the Scottish Vets and Women's series, Jay's fifth, first and second places were sufficient to earn her the series winner's jersey. PINK! (her favourite colour)
For Jay, the 2010 Ras na mBan has been her most positive cycling experience. Doing two races on the same day was intimidating for Jay. Her efforts were rewarded when she went to refuel that evening; as she made her way to the head of the buffet queue, she was bombarded with congratulations about her performance. More concerned with filling her plate, Jay did not realise that she had come second in the time trial! By the end of the weekend, Jay had three prizes to collect. Along with Cat's prize, SWWR had truly made their mark on the racing scene.
Kate Rhodes
Kate is another of the Sandy Wallace Women with that terrible affliction, triathlete-itis. Despite the best efforts from her team captain, Kate insists on running and swimming. To make matters worse, Kate has decided to focus her efforts on completing the toughest distance, an Ironman, later this year. Wow.
Kate is an accomplished mulit-sport athlete, taking the silver medal in the 2007 ITU World Sprint Triathlon. This year, along with Catriona, Lara and Gillian, Kate qualified to represent Britain at the World Duathlon Championships in Edinburgh.
Recently married, when Kate is not out cycling, running or swimming, she can be found looking after her chickens. Here's hoping she finds time to turn those eggs into tasty home baking for the ladies at the training camp in March!
Kate is an accomplished mulit-sport athlete, taking the silver medal in the 2007 ITU World Sprint Triathlon. This year, along with Catriona, Lara and Gillian, Kate qualified to represent Britain at the World Duathlon Championships in Edinburgh.
Recently married, when Kate is not out cycling, running or swimming, she can be found looking after her chickens. Here's hoping she finds time to turn those eggs into tasty home baking for the ladies at the training camp in March!
Claire MacAulay
Time to get some snaps of Claire in SWC kit!
Claire lives for fitness. From being involved in athletics, Claire moved into cycling in 2009 after being selected for Scottish Cycling's 'Gold4Glasgow' talent development programme. She is a powerful athlete and another fantastic climber.
Claire has a bubbly personality and a positive outlook. She has spent time living in America and now works as a personal trainer.
In 2010 Claire had her first taste of track cycling. She hopes to develop this interest in 2011.
Claire has a bubbly personality and a positive outlook. She has spent time living in America and now works as a personal trainer.
In 2010 Claire had her first taste of track cycling. She hopes to develop this interest in 2011.
Sarah Gleave
Sarah taking 3rd at the Scottish Road Race Championship in 2009
An award winning business woman, Sarah got into cycling through her love of triathlons. Both Cat and Sarah (and Jay, secretly) were members of the Stirling Tri Club. In 2007 Cat and Sarah completed l'Etape du Tour. A glutton for punishment, Sarah has been successful in both half and full distance Ironman Triathlon events.
In 2009, riding for local team Glasgow Nightingale, Sarah turned her attention to cycling.
Sarah is also active in promoting running, organising several events from her home base in Buchlyvie.
In 2009, riding for local team Glasgow Nightingale, Sarah turned her attention to cycling.
Sarah is also active in promoting running, organising several events from her home base in Buchlyvie.
Paula Butcher
Maggie Creber
