My perspective on life and cycling

Winning races is so weird. Whenever you win a race, so many strangers take you everywhere. You have to do doping control, podium celebrations, interviews and you’re just being taken to all these places by strangers who work for the race. You only see your teammates for a few minutes after the finish line when you’ve just won. When you’re finished with the race protocols, you don’t get to celebrate with your teammates because they are on their way to the airport already. Race organisers need everything done quickly and efficiently – I understand that – but this beautiful moment is taken away from you. 

That’s one of the realisations I’ve had and that’s why I try to look at my cycling career within the bigger picture of my general life. I’m working really hard to have balance and have a good outlook on life. Growing up, I followed Emma Johansson’s career closely and admired her. She was a great rider but since she’s retired, no one talks about her. She’s forgotten which is sad because she was an amazing rider. I might have my 5 minutes of fame now, but I know once it’s done, no one cares. You have to be prepared for that. I don’t want to ride my bike beyond my sell by date because I’m trying to hold onto the attention.

I am lucky to be surrounded by smart people who help me with my outlook on life. I have friends who challenge me all the time – people who are straightforward and honest. That helps me to see things clearly. I like being conscious of what’s happening around me and not get lost in the moment too much.

It all started by coming from an amazing family. I started riding my bike because of my dad. He accidentally came across cycling because of his friends. He convinced my brother to ride with him. He was afraid of having me on the road so when I finally got my chance, I had to show him what I could do. The day after he bought me my first road bike, we entered a race which we won together. I was 15 years old and just immediately enjoyed riding my bike.

However, I was a teenager, so I was mostly focused on running after boys or hanging out with my friends, so I wasn’t good at training. The first two years was on and off with the bike, going training depended on how I felt on the day.

Once I became a junior, I was convinced I wanted to be a cyclist. I started training properly and discovering the cycling world more. The moment I got selected to represent Poland during the European championships, I fell in love with the sport and wanted to become a professional. When I finished fifth in those European Championships and knew I had the potential to become professional. I was a first-year under 23 racing against girls with pro contracts and didn’t actually struggle that much in the race. Rabobank contacted me after the race. Once we got talking, I knew that reaching a contract was possible.

After turning pro, the hardest part was living abroad at a young age without family. To communicate with people who have a completely different culture and tradition was challenging. At the same time, I sometimes felt I wanted to put myself in these situations to see how I would react. When I was young, I got English lessons at school but I took extra lessons because I just felt I would be travelling in the future and it might come in handy.

I’m grateful for the beautiful moments I’ve had in my career so far. Getting a medal during the European Championships in 2016 and winning silver in the European Games in Baku are high on my list because whenever I represent my country, wearing red and white, getting results are the best moments for me. There is something special about sharing emotions and feelings with people who speak your language. People who know you and have known you since you were very young. I feel this beautiful connection that I can be totally myself and I’m not being judged…when I can get a result in those moments, I’m super happy.

Headshot: Thomas Maheux. Other photos: Sean Robinson/Velofocus