Galloway’s pro ride the product of persistence

The 21-year-old will ride with Olympic champion Nicole Cooke plus fellow Australian and Commonwealth Games women’s road race winner Rochelle Gilmore in 2012 after it as announced she had signed with the new outfit last week.

The Canberra native spent time in the Australian national team set up during 2009 before a forgettable 2010 – during which she competed for a Dutch amateur team – saw her return to the nation’s capital and reassess her cycling future.

In 2011 she undertook another European racing sojourn as part of an amateur UK team, with the financial assistance of a local hairdresser in Canberra, which allowed her to catch the attention of management at Gilmore’s squad. Galloway believes it was her commitment to the sport throughout the last two seasons and the unwavering support of her coach, Marianne Simpson, that saw her through some testing times.

“I tried to use my experiences in 2010 – I had a pretty shocking year and not much went right for me – to learn in every aspect and not let my season go down the same path,” Galloway said. “I think that’s what really helped me move forward; I learnt from every experience and was pro-active in that sense. I guess you get out what you put in and I put a lot in this year and it’s good to reap the rewards.

“The one thing I’ve learnt over the past two years – on and off the bike – is that the things worth having in life don’t come easily and that makes you appreciate it so much more when you get them,” she added.

“The various obstacles I’ve encountered over the past two years have definitely made me who I am today and in some ways I’m thankful my short cycling career hasn’t been smooth sailing because I’ve constantly been faced with the question of whether I’ve wanted to continue doing it. Every time I’ve been faced with that, the answer has simply been, ‘Yes’. It might sound a bit tragic to the casual observer, but nothing brings me more pleasure than riding my bike.”

That commitment has delivered her into the fold of Cooke and Gilmore, both in their late ‘20s and respected as two of the most accomplished riders of their generation. Galloway says she’ll take a “developmental” role within the team, something that wouldn’t be possible if she had remained in Australia.

“I first made contact with Rochelle in 2010 when I was no longer with the ACT Academy of Sport or the Australian national team and I was looking for a ride overseas,” Galloway explained. “I asked her for some help in terms of whom I should approach and how I should go about it… We’ve maintained contact since and she’s been great to me as a mentor and helping me out where she can.

“I feel very privileged to now be able to ride with both her and Nicole Cooke – you can’t ask for much better mentors. It was quite surprising that even though I’d maintained contact with Rochelle for a couple of years I’ve now been given the opportunity to ride for my first professional team.”

Galloway was part of the ‘Dream Team’ – the squad Gilmore has assembled with the help of online retailer Bikeexchange.com.au to contest the Australian summer of racing – when it won the women’s event at the Noosa International GP, as Cooke overcame a strong field to kick start her preparation for the London Olympics.

“A fantastic thing about Rochelle is that she always gives back to the sport. She’s a very big presence here in Australia and I think us women can thank her for the increase in publicity and sponsorship we’re getting partly because she’s putting out names out there,” said Galloway. “And there are a number of other women such as Kate Bates doing the same thing… I think we have the more experienced riders such as Rochelle and Kate largely to thank for enhancement of the women’s cycling scene today.”

Galloway’s obvious enthusiasm for the sport is infectious and she envisions this major step in her fledgling career as the perfect springboard for a lasting stint in the pro ranks – and she’s not afraid to admit that her aspirations stretch far beyond the near future but remain entrenched in a personal philosophy about the value of teamwork.

“Long term I want to continue racing at the highest level and be a worthy representative for my country at world championships, Commonwealth Games and Olympics; I get great satisfaction out of achieving team results and I see myself as being a strong domestique, although given the chance I won’t say no to working for myself and chasing victories,” she said.

“I really enjoy team wins because at the end of the day there’s nothing more satisfying than looking back and knowing that we set out to achieve something and did it together.”