Ambassadors
Meet our Ambassadors
We’ve got some very cool ambassadors signed up and ready to take on the 2025 Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge. You can meet them and follow along with their training journey here. You may find it inspiring or you may find it entertaining but either way these guys are awesome and we thank them for sharing their story!
Jon Bridges riding the Shimano Round the Lake
As a long time cycling commuter, author, journo, commentator and MC, the thing I really love is pretending to be a bike racer. This year I've just been to race the Age Group Nationals, juggling my training efforts with family and work life. I had no great success but I was pleased as punch to be there! I love the childish freedom of riding a bike, I love being fit, I love the challenge and competition and I especially love being part of all the big and small communities of cycling.
- Jon
Bryony Botha riding the Shimano Round the Lake
After spending the past few years building towards the 2024 Olympic Games, I’m now enjoying a bit more balance spending less time on the track and shifting my focus to the road. This year, I’ll be racing across the U.S. with the Fearless Femme team, competing in criteriums and road races around the country for 4 months. What I love most about riding is the way it lets me disconnect from everything (e.g. phone, uni, work etc.) and explore places I’d never otherwise see.
- Bryony
Libby O’Brien riding the Tineli Huka Hundy
I currently live life between Whakapapa Village in Tongariro National Park and Taupō, where I try and get as many opportunities to get on two wheels as possible. I ride an e-bike because it is all the good things about biking and none of the bad. I love riding it fast, love racing and love how it takes me places - especially when it takes me long distances on multi-day bike-packing trips! Riding my bike brings me absolute peace and silences all the noise in my head instantly.
- Libby
Nick Blincoe riding the Shimano Round the Lake
I grew up in competitive sport representing NZ in school rugby, and playing in the 2004 World Champion U19 World Cup team for NZ. In June 2010, one tackle changed my life. A brachial plexus injury left me with no feeling or movement in my left arm from below my elbow, and little control of my shoulder. Soon after his injury my, I knew I wanted to be part of Para sport. I first started Para cycling in 2015, narrowly missing selection for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Between 2019 to 2024 I raced in multiple World Championships, with a highlight being 6th in the Kilo time trial in 2019 and 2020. In the 2023 World Championships, I placed 3rd in the 200m Time Trial, and claimed 11th in the C4 Omnium. Turning to road riding, I have competed twice in the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge Shimano Round the Lake and I am hooked! My fastest time to date was in 2024, with a time of 4:28:50. I return year after year to encourage others with challenges to overcome whatever life throws their way.
- Nick
Ian Jones
I'm an ageing weekend warrior who love the social connection I get from cycling and training for events in general. My training partners keep me motivated and well balanced in life, and my fellow athletes out there inspire me to keep going.
- Ian