EP#39 - Jess Gardiner on starting out racing, Europe and more.

Jess Gardiner is Australia's most successful female racer, in fact she's our most successful racer across all classes and almost any discipline. We sat down with Jess to talk about round one of the 2026 AEC, how she got into racing, here toughest and best times racing here and overseas, how close she came to retiring and what she has in store for the future. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to the ADB Podcast, where we talk all things dirt with your host, Mitch Lee. Alright, guys, welcome to another ADB podcast. We have a uh good one today. We've got Jess Gardner, uh AEC, the women's AEC champ, uh, on the line. She's gonna talk to us about that first round at Roma uh that's just happened over the weekend. It looked technical and dry and dusty, and then all of a sudden the rain came down and cancelled day two. So we're gonna chat with Jess about her first round, but then we're also keen to talk to Jess about her future, uh, what she's been doing uh in the last couple of years in particular, and also maybe some stuff about her career over the last 15 years, which is essentially how long uh she's been racing. Um so we're gonna get into all that, which is gonna be lots of fun. Um and but before we do, I am going to uh thank our new sponsor, which is Sherko Australia. Um if you've been thinking about upgrading your Enduro bike, listen up because this is big. Sherko have just launched an incredible low-rate finance offer on their latest My26 Factory Two-Stroke range. Uh, we're talking seriously sharp rates. They're gonna do 3.8% as a comparison rate over two years, um, or 4.89% comparison rate over three years. So you can pick a two or three year finance deal and get a different rate. So that's pretty good. So go check out uh Sherko Fast Finance. We've ridden the Sherko Factory two strokes many a times. I've had one as long-termers, and they are awesome, they're lightweight, agile, race ready, uh, and reliable. I have put so many hours in some of my Shercos, and I've really never had many problems. You just got to look at how they're going around the world. I mean, they won Wildwood here in Australia last year with Will Reardon. So they're an awesome thing. So go check it out. Shergo have some cracking deals on their two-stroke range uh and some good finance deals. Uh and yeah, head to shirko.com.au and you'll find all the details there. Now, uh, I'm gonna introduce uh Jess Gardner to the podcast and to ADB. Jess, thanks for coming on.

SPEAKER_03 1:54

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Uh okay, and I've got Briggsy as well. Jeff Briggs does all our podcasts with us like this too. He's always got lots of interesting questions, and he it's also kind of cool because we're gonna talk to Jess today about just the first round. Unfortunately, not the first two rounds, just the first round uh of the AEC up in Roma and how she went. Uh and Briggsie was up there too racing, so gonna get kind of a perspective from both of them. Uh Briggsie, thanks for coming on, mate.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

Yeah, happy to be here again.

SPEAKER_02 2:21

Uh Jess, so you didn't bring a bodyboard to uh Roma for round two. Briggsie sent me photos videos of like the car park, like park for mate getting out of the pits, and you just sent me a video of a ram trying to, you know, essentially it needed a snorkle to get out of there. It was wet on day two. It was no did you guys wake up and go, we're not racing today. This is Buckley's.

SPEAKER_03 2:44

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was like at 2 a.m. It'd been bucketing down, you know. We were all camped in the paddock, and it was like, I wish we could. Uh we're a long way from home and uh we're excited to go racing, but there is no way them creeks were gonna keep up. Uh, especially like 80% of the track was in the creekways, so yeah, it it came up pretty fast, and then it was uh all hands on deck trying to get everyone out of there all day Sunday.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

Did you was it forecast? Did they forecast that much rain?

SPEAKER_03 3:16

Uh look, it was in waves. It was kind of saying five to ten. Uh we were meant to have five to ten Friday, and then again on Saturday. Um, and then it was sort of meant, you know, different radars were saying different things, but it was sort of saying it was meant to settle down overnight and then come again the next afternoon. But once it started, it just pretty much didn't stop. And yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Man, the bomb, the bomb kills all of us. The amount of things that we try to get done, like even as a mag trying to test things, and Briggsy and I looking at the bomb like a week out, and you're like, oh, okay, that should be okay. And then three days out it changes, then through and a day out it changes again. It's how tax money hard at work. Um, yeah, so alright, well, obviously, day two was a was a rain out, and you know, based on the conditions, it was dangerous probably to go racing. There was absolutely no way it was going to happen, and getting vehicles and and uh infrastructure in and out. Um, but day one, Jess, we were just talking really quickly before we jumped on the podcast together. Uh from some of the videos again, Briggsy sent me. I was obviously looking, I couldn't get up there for this round. I was watching a lot of the videos on social media too. Looked more you you mentioned it was a similar track to what you wrote a few years ago, but to me it looked a little more technical than what you guys would normally ride, maybe a little bit more rocks. It certainly looked um more challenging or was it than it has been in previous years, or maybe than other rounds, or is that not maybe the case, Jess?

SPEAKER_03 4:38

Um yeah, compared to other rounds in Australia, I guess in the last you know, ten or so years, it's been basically motocross between the trees. You'll see motocross riders can switch over and come and ride in duro and perform quite well, um, straight away be fighting for podiums uh as they've got that speed already. Uh but this club Roma two years ago we raced their last, and the tracks were honestly 90% the exact same because I also walked uh the track Briggsie Road on the Saturday, ready for the Sunday. Um, anyway, that was a waste of time. But it was, yeah, most of it was the exact same as what we did race two years ago, um, which is cool because that was a quite technical round. I remember two years ago we were all talking about it then as well, going, Oh, how cool is this to see, you know, lots of challenging obstacles. Um, our track had lots of big logs, uh, a ton of little ones as well. And then where the clubman track from Saturday that Briggsie Road had heaps of uh the rock uh creek beds, and that was you know, it's something straight out of Europe, um, which is a shame we don't see more of to get us ready for like world championships and stuff like that. But yeah, it it's a technical weekend of racing.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Hap Briggsy, what was the your because obviously Jess didn't get to ride your track on the Saturday, like she just said, what was your take on that section? Yeah, there were some ledges that look like they're waist high, and I'm thinking normally, yeah, we don't normally get them all that much in AORC or now.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

I had the odd one, but to have it like when I walked the test, I was like, Wow, this is a proper Enduro, you know. Uh, and I actually I was like walking, I'm going, oh, this is gonna be pretty hard. So I'm not walking tests anymore because it rode way better than but no, it was very technical. There's a wasn't much off-camera, but very tight, technical, a lot of logs in our tests, too, some steep little uphill pinches over logs. Uh, then the whole creek bed, which lasts in 23, I think you guys ducked out of the creek bed or four and then come back in, where we just went the whole way along it this time. Um, and the drop in was like a good, yeah, it would have been near two meter drop, not vertical, but decent onto a sort of rock ledge that was pretty hard base. So for the them guys, it would have been tough with water and mud getting dragged down there to pivot onto that into the creek bed the next day for sure. But it still had its open fast sections, but it just had such a broad mix of everything. It was it was really a proper enduro track.

SPEAKER_02 7:11

That's awesome. I think um that's what we want to see. We don't want to see motocross tracks in the bush. We want to see the skill set that you guys have uh on display and all with all that kind of technical stuff, so that's pretty cool. Um, and so what you got, you got another seven rounds to go. Well, actually, you've missed there's two done, so it's two in one weekend. Ten, yeah. So you got another eight to go.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

Ten to go.

SPEAKER_02 7:35

Ten to go. Yeah. Okay, so ten rounds, yeah. Okay, five more weekends, ten more rounds. Um, okay, so lots of time to make it back up. Jess, you had a cracking weekend, obviously. Uh, it was a goodie for you. Is competition in the um women's class this year? I mean, it's a bit hard. I was hoping to ask you this after two rounds, but you've just had the one. Um, does it feel you know the field, you know everyone there. Does it feel like there's some kids coming through, girls coming through, obviously Maddie's there, um, that are going to be able to challenge you?

unknown 8:04

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 8:05

Or won't say anyone else, just you. Look, this weekend went in my favour. Um, I've always been known for my technical skill set. Um, that's where I shine. The rougher it gets, the deeper the ruts get, uh, the more chopped out, more, the bigger the logs. Um, that's why I spent so long doing World Enduro Championships, and I was training for that most of my career. Um, so that's definitely my forte, and we started off with a bang. Um, you know, Maddie Simpson, I knew she was going to be a strong competitor this year, and I'm sure she still will be when we come into the faster rounds and the more open stuff suited to our motocross girls. Um, but uh, you know, I put in some hard work this pre-season, uh off season end pre-season, I guess we say, uh, because I knew last year uh it was a bit too close for my comfort. As fun as it was, I said, look, I'm getting older, it's not getting easier, the chicks are getting younger and crazier. Um I can't just rely on, you know, my skill sets and you know the years of knowledge and stuff. I I need to put in the work and bring my intensity up. Um, and I think I definitely came out on track and showed that on round one this weekend.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Yeah, it's how many I I've got Danny, you've got 14 AORC titles. I'm including AEC. You're gonna put it might I might have got that slightly wrong. It's 14. How many years have you been racing professionally?

SPEAKER_03 9:32

Uh well, I'm nearly 33 this month, and I've been going since I was 16 um in the in the EW class. So for my first year in seniors, we obviously had uh a year of COVID that we didn't do it at all. Um and I had a year off AEC when I focused on just doing the world championships, the French and the European championships uh in 2017. And I've obviously forfeited a few rounds here and there, uh, making World Enduro my focus throughout the years when there was clashes with the events calendar. Uh so yeah, we're getting up there. Um yeah, the titles. So I've actually got nine AEC championship titles, so the 14 with uh would be with four days, but uh unfortunately, you know, they're quite far between the years of those running lately. Um seems we only have one every four or five years now, which is a shame. But um, yeah, this year I'll be chasing my temps, so you know that's really a pretty big goal.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

Um so Racing Season 2016, did was there any reconsider? Are you on kind of one-year deals with Yamaha? Is it that kind of and your other sponsors how it works? I know with everyone we've spoken to, Ferris said the same thing last year. He liked uh last week he likes to do one-year deals. Um do did you ever get to a stage at the end of last year where you're like, whoa, do I want to go again?

SPEAKER_03 10:58

Uh yeah, definitely. Um, I had a few curveballs phone at the end of last year that we didn't expect. Just before the last round, um, we found out my mum was very, very ill. Um, so that sent shockwaves through the fam, and obviously I'm super close to my mum. If anyone knows us at the paddock, uh 80% of the round she's right there, she's helping cook still and you know, do all the family thing. It's such a family sport. So um yeah, when that curveball got thrown at us, um, you know, I was very, very affected. Um, I pretty much didn't touch the bike uh after that last round at Gimpy for a good month. Um I spent as much time as I could by my mum's side and just working through it all. And yeah, in the end, you you know, she um that came to my mind. I said, you know, I need to spend more time with family. I don't have time to go training and racing. And uh she pulled me up pretty quick and said, you know, I'd be more disappointed if you stopped just because of this, and I'd rather be at home unable to be there, but turn yon, phone call away and able to see you still kicking goals and doing what you know we've spent as a family uh a good part of my lifetime um chasing. So that was pretty special to I guess that's helped me have a really good preseason as well. Um, and that comes back to you know sport and the resilience that off-road racing builds. It it goes really deep and you know, family is a big part of that backing. And yeah, so here I am um on another year, um knowing I had to put in the work, I wanted to yeah, really come out with a bang this year, and I think we're on a good roll for that.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

Well, I mean, you know, we we've had Gemma Wilson has been probably your arguably your biggest rival over the past what do we say, 16 years of racing? Um do you see is has has has women's racing since you started to where it is now gotten stronger? Um, has it kind of come in waves? Um, you know, Gemma retired a few years ago. Does it kind of go in waves? Taylor was also there before she went overseas. Um and so do you have does this mean now that you're like you said, 33, you're no longer 21? And so when you're recovering from injury and even just recovering from working out, you know, getting ready, it's gonna take your body longer. Does a pre-season uh require more of you nowadays than it did previously, or is maybe because the competition isn't Gemma Wilson, you know, you can focus more on other things rather than training and pushing yourself as hard as you can in an off-season?

SPEAKER_03 13:32

Well, I guess that's a tricky one. It it varies a little bit, you know. As my parents always told me, Oh, you wait see when you get to 30, it'll all change. And I was like, Yeah, yeah, whatever. Um, but yeah, it's true, you gotta work harder to keep the kilos off, and um, you know, like you say, to stay in shape. Um, you know, we crash, we're dirt bike riders. You as long as we get up one more time, then we fall down, we keep going, we fight again, and we've got to recover from that. And I guess with the the years it becomes easier knowing what to do, how to treat it, um, having the right people around us to help us treat whatever we were dealing with, um, and then getting smarter around all of that, what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat it, um, you know, getting ready for a race weekend versus the hardcore training week. Um so I think with so many years under my belt of racing now, I've really got that down, Pat, um, with a lot of help with a lot of people around us. So um yeah, it's it definitely doesn't get easier. Um, especially, you know, I work a full-time job outside of racing since my whole career, Monday to Friday. So um balancing that as well as making sure I hit all my marks with my training, prep for racing, um, and the younger girls, it's getting stronger. Um, it's definitely come in waves, like you said, from when I first stepped into seniors, it was kind of Gemma Wilson's year to be that next chick at the top because before her was Alison Parker. Um, when I was a young junior, I didn't know too much about it. I'd come from motocross myself, and boom, we were into that first four day. I remember going into the one at um near Lifgow there, and we were only 0.1 second of apart going into the final moto. So um I was straight out a challenge for Gemma. Um, and then that rivalry went up went on for quite some years there, and you know, it made some great fun racing, and it's cool to see, you know, even though Gemma retired, uh the younger girls are coming through. I've obviously had the mentoring program and had Jenny L step up, and it's the first time it's been done since I went into senior ranks. I won everything that yeah, I won the four day, I won the Aussies. Um and that hadn't been done since myself. But when Jenny L I trained her for four years as a junior and she stepped up the fifth year, and she was still under my tent uh for her first year of seniors, and we went neck and neck battling. Like I won the first round, she won the second round. I won the third round, she won the fourth round. And it was literally so tough, and she was so determined. Um, she did so well that by the end of the year I I had nothing for her. She ran away with the lead towards the end of the championship and got her first Aussie championship in her first year of seniors as well, which hadn't been done since I did it way back in 2010. So that was super special to be a part of. Um, and then now see obviously Maddie step up from the junior rank, and just seeing that uh gap, I guess, bridge a little less. Um, you know, there's good programs in place for the junior girls now. Um, Yamaha do a really good support program and a few of the other brands that are helping, you know, support the junior girls. So then when they come up and do race me, it's not such a big gap, and then we lose them because it's like, oh, I've got no chance to be up with Jess and Maddie and even Emily. You know, Emily's been going a long time and really strong, so it's it is a big gap coming from a 16-year-old girl up into race girls like ourselves who've been doing it for so long.

SPEAKER_02 17:03

I it's it's good you mentioned way back where you started your career because that'll be fun to start to explore because I I don't know if you remember Jess, but in 2010 or maybe 11, you and I went on a um ride through the Vic High country for seven days called the Seven Deadly Sins Ride.

SPEAKER_01 17:19

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 17:20

And yeah, I remember like Sam McLaughlin was editing ADV at the time, and he's like, Oh, you've got to go and do this ride for seven days. And and you know, we'd done it in it as a magazine in the past, and so we'd cover the ride itself, and we were trying to come up with some sort of fun angle, and it was like, okay, well, here's this chick that's just like burst onto the scene, she's kicking ass, but she won't be as well known as some of those those that have come before her. So I'll take her with me. She can come with me if like dad lets her, because you were like 16 or 17 at the time. I think I did actually approach your parents and go, Are you okay with this? Like, just triple check. Um, because this ride will be full of like 12, you know, middle-aged blokes who you know what those rides are like. They all think they're the next uh Toby Price, and so they're all fighting each other on every trail to get to every corner. And I thought it'd be fun to just throw you in the mix. Here's this like 16, 17-year-old um, you know, up and coming Enduro racer, and you kick their ass, which was very satisfying, like at every kind of section, every day. And I remember them all, they're all scratching their head, and and the first day they're asking me, like, who is she? What what's what does she do? And I'm like, oh, you guys have got to pay attention to AYC, she's she's just turned up, she started winning. Um, but that was the first time I'm I kind of met you. We got to spend a week together, and I got to see uh yeah, like how impressive you were at that age at riding a dirt bike. And I you could kind of see from there, and like you said earlier in your career, you were the first to do it, come in and win on debut, that it was you were gonna have a career that was providing you stayed upright, you know, long and incredibly successful, which you had, which is kind of cool. But yeah, let's go back to when you were a 16 and 17-year-old girl coming into um the off-road racing world at the time. Um, you know, you you went on to win, like we said, 14 total titles in Australia so far. There's there's nine there in AORC and five in um as a four-day, you've won six six days. I always get this wrong because there's so many. Yeah, you've won't won two, yeah, with the team, two outrights at a six-day. Yep. Um, you know, you've won the French championship off the top of my head. Um, you've you've won so many championships, it's really actually quite hard to kind of keep on top of them all. But um did you ever see when you're 16 and you're like breaking into the scene, you might have won on debut. Did you ever see your career panning out the way that it did? And if you kind of do you guys know when you're that good, when you're that young, that oh, this is actually I'm good at this, and there's a good chance I can be incredibly successful like you have been when you're 16.

SPEAKER_03 19:48

Um, I guess that's a tricky one because I was never naturally talented. I worked really hard um from probably I would say 14 or 15 when I like I started Minicarna at 12 and I absolutely loved it. I gave up dancing and I put everything into it. We're fortunate to have two and a half acres, so we replicated what they had at Minicarna with the witches' hats, and I trained after I did my homework, of course. That was uh prerequisite with my parents. Um so finished that and then went out just weaving witches' hats, and then you know, it escalated really quickly, like you said. And I guess when you're young, you just you just love it so much, you're so passionate. Um and I guess no, like hindsight would be a great thing, right? See the future, know what's gonna happen. But I definitely didn't know that was gonna happen. Obviously, I was a kid with big dreams, and when I started getting a taste for it, it tastes pretty good. So I was like, I want more of it, and I want to do it again and again and again, and you know, here we are. What are we in our 16th year of senior ranks? Um, still going hard at it. So it definitely is very addictive, and you know, I still work so hard for it and bring a lot of passion to the table, and I think everything together really makes a good recipe.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

Yeah, that's cool. And 12 too, like 12 to start mini karna, you know, in our world is late, and so it's so encouraging, I guess, for anyone out there, especially girls maybe that'll out there listening that might find it in funny you mention it, Jess. I did I took my daughter Bonnie, she's four, to her first mini karna on Sunday at junior trials. Yeah, Gwanda, and she like she's typical four-year-old. I didn't know what I was gonna get on the day. You kind of typical, it's a bit of a lucky trip. Uh, but she absolutely loved it. She's in Nippers, so she didn't race competitively, uh, but she got to go around the track, and there was just one other girl. There were about 20 kids in Nippers. There's one other girl who was a year older than her, and um, she had a little crash, got up, she was okay, had a little cry, gave her a hug. But it was so cool to see her in there. But there's not there's not many girls, and not many people like tw you said you started at 12 and you've become our most Um successful, you know, female racer, off-road racer. Um, so I guess that's encouraging that you know for girls out there that feel like, oh, I didn't start early enough or you know, I didn't do motocross from the age of five or six, you don't have to, so long as you you you have the skill set and you dedicate the work ethic to becoming what you were able to do.

SPEAKER_03 22:20

Yeah, absolutely. There's um nothing's impossible. And uh I do it, you know, obviously we do a lot of coaching um for the off-road with my partner Jeremy, and a big thing, especially when we have our ladies only event, it's it's um your mind. If you back yourself, you're halfway there. Um and no one can do that for you, unfortunately. Like if you tell yourself I can't do it, and as simply as going over a log, I can't do it, you will not do that log until you tell yourself you can't. Like, it's it's unfortunate, just how crazy mental come like the mental game comes into off-road racing and endure especially. So it's um yeah, it's a whole lot.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

So just when you burst onto the scene, were you just out of the back of a van with the parents? And were you on a were you sponsored like on a program with Yamaha then, or were you on a different brand of bike? What was it, what did it look like back then for you guys?

SPEAKER_03 23:16

Yeah, so early on, uh obviously the Dominicana thing. By 13, I was chasing motocross because we had the local Clarence and Oakdale clubs that were doing quite well. So we got in, you know, you meet people and other families and they recommend this and that. And uh so really enjoyed that side of it, doing a lot of motocross as a junior. And then same thing, we just had an old Ford Transit, which we got secondhand off um I think Brodie Hutton from years ago from a motocross, and uh yeah, we just traveled with my stepdad um going to the races, mum here, there, even my dad would show up and they'd all take turns taking me there, and um yeah, before we knew it, it it uh escalated really quickly. And my stepdad actually knew Jeff Ballard um from when he used to do a couple of uh where was it, Bilpin? They used to have the track out at Bilpin back in their heyday of Craig Dak and Jeff Ballard and my stepdad did some races with him, and uh so yeah, we got to ride with him a few times and he sort of went, What are you doing this motocross stuff for? And it's like, Oh well, that's you know, it's it's hard as a junior to start off in off-road because obviously it's more older categories and stuff, and it's hard when you don't know much about the sport to find your avenues of what you can and can't do, and then that's where Jeff recommended, Oh, they have juniors at the the state titles, you should come and do that. So then uh in my last year or two of juniors, I started doing the uh state titles, which was really fun. Um, and same thing when I was doing those state titles, I was like, Oh, actually, this is really cool. Met some really cool group of friends, everyone camped, stayed at the track afterwards, so it was really great for the family as well. They all loved hanging out, campfires at night, and then go racing in the day. And then from there, um Jeff's like, that's it, you're coming full-time in Juro. And I was very fortunate that that first year that I did go racing in 2010, my first year of seniors, I got the ride on Ballard's, which was the factory Yamaha team for off-road back then. Um, so that was super special, and then obviously a massive help going forward.

SPEAKER_02 25:31

Yeah, it's so it's it's cool to kind of think to I'm like looking at it, you know, having Ballard there to bring you in and give you the opportunity with a team um like that in that environment is massive. Uh, you know, I'm not sure before you how many factory in inverted commas if we have factory in this country, but uh positions there were for in the women's class. But it's cool to see now that you like with your uh development program, you've kind of almost been able to do you know something similar to what Ballard did for you, which is provide an opportunity for someone uh for a girl to go racing professionally. Um you know, to be able to now do that 16 years later for girls coming through is really cool. Um and so from from the first moment that you got into racing off-roads professionally at 1617 to now was has anything changed in and around off-road racing for women since then? Has it has are there more opportunities, has it become more professional? Was there stigma around um oh they're just the girls can't do the track that we can do? That they're they're not gonna be able to, we want them to race on a separate, you know, section because they're not gonna be able to keep up. Has anything in that space changed over the last 16 years?

SPEAKER_03 26:44

I think definitely. I think we've proved ourselves that we're more than capable. Um, there's always been those chats um throughout the years, um, you know, of oh, they can't ride their track, they'll have to go with the clubmen. And early on with my racing, we were we were never on the pro track um for sprints, for example, like round one this weekend. Um, there was a pro track, a clubman track, and a junior track, and us women would always race with the clubmen. Um so it's come a long way, um, especially with media now. Obviously, the women is a main championship class, so to help the media um not be so scattered everywhere across the paddocks. We have been racing with the pro category for years. Um, you know, we had 80 odd on the pro track on the weekend, and I was fighting for early 30s outright. So we've definitely proven that we deserve to be there and we're more than capable to do what the boys are doing. Um, it's never been treated any differently overseas. We've always done the same routes. Um, you know, a six-day, for example, every single man, woman does the exact same route no matter what. Um, we do all the same special tests. Um, obviously the times vary a little bit because the physique side does come into it at some point. Uh but world championships uh obviously get super challenging, and they did have what they would call in the extreme chest chicken runs, but they would be open to everyone. Some of the back end juniors and the youth were even taking those chicken runs, so they called them, um, which was you know, there's the A line to jump off that cliff or the B line to zigzag down, or um, some wild stuff like that. So uh I think it's come a long way, and it is a lot more professional. And like you said, Jen and Jeff Bellard, when they were running the team, they were always supportive of women, even before myself, they had Alison Parker on the team. Um so they've always had a place for women. Um, obviously a few years in it changed a little bit, and then Jeff was no running, no longer running the Yamaha team, and then it sort of the whole dynamic changed a lot. Um, but then that's why I thought with my own racing, and then I'd set myself up. I've you know made so many great sponsors over the years, which then we treat like family, they become family. Um, they've been some of them have been with me my whole career nearly. Um, so with that, then that's when I seen the gap in the program of seeing the junior girls having to come race us and going, it is a big step. It is a big step from being fun, just a kid, riding around, doing your thing to go, let's go race these top girls that are training hard and going quite fast. Um so that's where back in oh, how many years ago now? We're going back a few years, uh it's seven years ago now. I really pushed to have a junior girl through my team under my program, um, able to just offer them that little bit of extra support um and guidance and just be right beside them on the weekends to cheer them on and just give them advice on any questions they've got. And it worked really well for Danielle, probably too good. I trained her up perfectly to beat myself. So um it's something you know I've had to learn over 20 odd years of learning how to ride a motorbike and racing one professionally, and I was able to jam-pack that into a five-year program for her and feed her as much information that I'd took me 15 years to learn into five. Um, and now we're on our second year with our second junior girl, um Lorna Locke, who's you know, in the same pathways as what Danielle was, um, started out on 85 for us and versing the junior girls on the big one, two, fives and two fifties, and doing really well. Started the first round, first race with us, third place. And I'm pretty sure Danielle was the exact same, full of nerves, and we said, no pressure, just you do you, go have fun, come back safe, make sure you finish. And yeah, by the second day, by the second round on the Sunday, boom, Danielle was winning. Lorna's copied and pasted that, and she went winning, and then she's been winning ever since. And we're in our second year now, and it's um it's really cool just to see, you know, even hearing the parents' feedback of saying, hey, since you've just helped her out and given her your backing and the support, and obviously there's some gear and you know, product and stuff that comes with it, and we look after the race bikes and take them to the race forum, so everything's prepared, prepared. We've got race mechanics there, they maintain everything at race weekends, so it takes a big load off the parents as well. And just them going, Wow, just with all that support package, she's just gone from here to here and wanting it so much more, and that sort of um you know that want to perform just starts to shine through.

SPEAKER_02 31:30

Um so talking about that uh ballard's team ending, you were the longest, you're the most successful woman, and you're probably the longest ever on a Yamaha. Um but there was a Shirko stint in there for a little bit. Did that come at the end of the ballard's stint? I'm just trying to remember back, and then you jumped on a Shirko. And what was so what was it like going from Ballard's team to whatever that was next, and maybe the in and in there with a Shirko? And then being the most successful woman, has anyone else tapped you on the shoulder and just said, look, whatever they're doing, we can increase it by 20%, 30% for you to come over and win on this colour. Have you do you get did do you have those opportunities pop up every now and then?

SPEAKER_03 32:14

Um to be honest, not really. Um the motorcycling world is tough. And in saying that, I feel if I was a male performing at the top, obviously a bit further up the ranking in the outrights, I'm sure that would be happening. Yeah. Um, but I've always felt as girls, we've had to work a lot harder in that aspect. Um, and we do well at it. Um, you know, I type the press releases for the team, I I do so much media stuff. Um, you know, I'm running a team format since eight or nine years now. So it it's um a lot of logistics go behind it and ordering parts and just some of the stuff people don't see behind the scenes. It takes a lot of time um to run a team and to run it successfully. So it's um yeah, it is um it's a tough one. I honestly haven't had many of those offers. Um that'd be nice, and I could go back to Yami and we keep pushing the game higher. But honestly, Yamaha have been amazing to me. I I rode for like we bought Yamaha's when I was a junior. Um, that was my first real motocrossy sort of bike, I guess, was the YZ85 Little Wheel, um, or small wheel, I should say, and then it just um you know that evolved, and then so happened the connection with Bella, and then I rode for that Yamaha team. Uh, I did still ride for Yamaha by myself in what year are we gonna say? I feel like we're going 2013, and the Yamaha team had shifted down just two riders. I'm pretty sure it was just Phillips and maybe Merriman back then, or there was just a two-rider team, so they changed the dynamic then. Um Hollis and Padem.

SPEAKER_00 34:04

Might have been Hollos.

SPEAKER_03 34:05

Yeah, maybe Hollos. Um yeah, I'd have to ring ballot on that one and test his memory too. Um and then from there, obviously, that's when I'll start to step up, do the worlds more. My first year of doing world championships was in 2012. And I got the bug for that as well, obviously. That was really cool, and I love traveling the world and a bit of a I don't know, tourist, I guess you'd say, getting to see different motorbike tracks we could ride around the world. And um I then made the switch to Sherko because that was probably the one time there was a really good offer on the table. Um we were looking for support, and um, my ex-partner at the time was French as well, and the French Sherco factory wasn't far, two hours away from where he lived, and um we met a lot of contacts over my year that first couple of years of racing the world. Then I did do the jump to Sherko um purely for the extra support in the world championships. Unfortunately, there's just not much Yamaha support to go racing in Europe, um, they just have so many problems with their um compliances and stuff to get the off-road bikes over there, and then there's not many teams involved, and there wasn't much support on that end. As good as Yamaha Shea was, and it was unbelievable here. Um, I just really wanted to chase that world championship stuff, and um, and then with Sherko, they were very cool to link up. Um, it used to be Don from Canberra that was running Sherko back then, it was real small time back. Um no one barely knew what a Sherko was when I started writing a Sherko. So I was actually part of helping build that brand in here in Australia as well, which was really cool earlier on. Um, I rode that 300 and I absolutely loved it. It was a really good size for me on the Sherko. It was quite light, and um it it, you know, my bike in in the worlds was totally different to the stock one out of the crate. Um, but it was, you know, it really helped me for quite a few years there for three solid years, but obviously it takes a toll on your body going back and forward, trying to race nationals here in Australia as well as going to do worlds. It it became very taxing. And at the end of those three years, I was like, I'm almost a bit homesick or just yeah, had too much travel. I just need to be one continent for more than three months at a time, and that's when I rang Ray Howard at the time and I said, Hey Ray, um what's the chance of coming back to Yami? And he's like, you know, gave me the uh you left us and now you want to come back, hey? Oh my god, please. I'm had a great time. And he understood the circumstances and he was very understanding. He sort of said, Right, oh, here you go, here's your offer again. And um, but only one warning, you don't get to do this twice. So here I am still in your mind says, I believe believe.

SPEAKER_00 37:04

So going from Europe back to Australia, and they've obviously got the different formats with the special tests and the extreme tests. Did you find that really helped your writing in a sense for Australia, or did it Australian tests sort of hold you back a little bit in Europe, you feel, at that time?

SPEAKER_03 37:24

At that time, uh, a bit of both, I guess. Um, because Australia was more the you know, motocross between the trees, quite fast. If there was a big log, they'd cut it out or find a way around it. Um, and we've never really had chicken runs or A line and a B line in Australia. So uh it was a a help, the faster test in Australia because it helped bring my intensity to Europe. Um but then it was a bit of a downpour and it made it really hard for me working in um the technical side of things because the extreme test was the extreme test, and it was only three and a half, four-minute tests, but man, did they throw every element into it, and you could you could end your race in there quite easily. Um, so I had to work hard to train that aspect. Um, and then even you know, my last year I was that I'd done the world was only 2023, so a couple of years ago now, and uh I just wanted one more crack. I'd had a year off again, and you know, you get the bug again, you go, oh, I really want to go again. And I was vice world champion that last attempt and had some good battles with Jane, the world champ of that year. Um, but I chose the wrong year because it was Finland, Sweden, raining, tree roots, rocks, mud holes, everything I do not have here in New South Wales in Western City to train. I've got bull dust and um so you know it was tough. Um, we you know that's why I feel Chiron, for example, at the moment is going so well over there. Um from Tasmania, you know, it's quite cold, rainy. Um, it's really I think every test we walk at a six-day or even a couple of the world rounds in 23, uh, you know, you go, Oh, I've got a test like this up the road for me at home. Oh, I've got a test like this. So it was like, oh, that's a perfect training grounds to get you to Europe.

SPEAKER_02 39:18

Yeah, that's interesting. Like you said, brings you two Phillips as well from Tasszy, you know, kicking ass over there. So it's titles. Yeah, yeah, it's not too bad. It helps if you kind of grow up with that terrain.

SPEAKER_00 39:29

Yeah, I just you can see it really shows through the guys who have been to Europe when we get these technical tests, and even for Jess herself, like that's where they excel. Like Will, Will's the same. Like, Will, when we get more technical, I think he has a another level above sort of core enjoy at the moment. Not saying they won't get there, but there's that little bit of experience, and he's ridden the worst of the worst and the extreme stuff as Jess has, and that really shows too in the female category. I think Maddie's a little off in that at the moment, she's got a little bit to learn. Uh, but speed-wise, like Jess said, in the motocross style stuff, Maddie knows how to put it down, so it will be good through the rest of the year watching the battles come. But at this stage, Jess has got the upper hand.

SPEAKER_02 40:12

Yeah, for sure. Um, hey, so let's talk about some Europe stuff then, Jess. Um, so on a Sherko in Europe, uh, for that duration, was you what what did what did your team contract living situation look like? Were you getting paid by Sherko? So therefore, you just mentioned you've had to work through your whole career. It's not like you know, two or three of the boys who can just get by on a um salary package in with their deal with the manufacturer. You've had to work. How did that work in Europe? Was the deal good enough for you to kind of live off a salary on top of the support from Sherko, or how did it work?

SPEAKER_03 40:48

No, um, to be honest, I could still tell you to this day I've never had a salary for motorcycle racing. Um I've got a great bonus program that you've all seen online now for this year that uh Yamaha have opened up. Um so you know, I need to perform to get paid, which you know, in it works well, um, especially if you're performing. Um but yeah, when with Sherco, they had a pretty good deal going that um, you know, my flights were covered. I had really good allowances that covered all my expenses, even when I was on the ground there to cover the field, the tolls, um, to get an A to B to cover my accommodation. Um FIM helped contribute to that as well for the women as an incentive to get more women from you know, not just Europe, but make it a world championship. Get the girls from Oz. So the girls that were offshore the week of the race, they were the FIM were actually covering the hotels for the week. Um, so there was a lot of little between FIM and actual Shoco at the time, there was a lot of assistance. Um you know, I didn't make much money from that, but I had a lot of the costs covered, and then same thing, even though I did that for three years, I was flying back and forward. Um so the only year that I spent the whole season in Europe was 2017. Um, and yeah, the rest, even though that time is Sherco, because that was kind of part of the deal with Sherko. They were like, okay, we'll cover your international flights back and forth and all your allowances, and uh, but we want you to help build the market in Australia because no one knows where Sherko is. We want to build the market there, you need to go back and forth and do the national. So that was a part of the deal.

SPEAKER_02 42:31

Okay, okay, that makes more sense. Um, so what do you do what for as a job? We when you're in Europe, you obviously weren't working, but you'd come back to Australia, make as much money as you could while you're also racing back here, and then take what you've saved, go back to Europe and live. Is that essentially how it comes?

SPEAKER_03 42:46

Yeah, exactly. Yep. I have an amazing boss um that I've been with just over 15 years now. So since I left school, as long as I've been racing professionally, I guess, outside of that. Um, my my employee has been right beside me. Um, 100% backing. Um, no questions asked, you know, the time I need to go racing, they know I'm honest. Um, you know, half the time if I'm sick, I'll still show up and um try my best to be there. And they're like, what are you doing? Go home, you're sick, or um, because I know how valuable it is to have that time that I'm able to go, hey, I need to go race in Italy, I've got to have two weeks off here, and then I'd come back to work for three weeks and go, Hey, I got a jet for three, okay, off to France I go for three weeks, and I'd come back for maybe a month or six weeks, and then off I went back again. And um, and it, you know, it's still like that now. Um, as I'm sitting here talking to you, we're still working our way back home uh from the nationals, and then I'll get back to work tomorrow. And then um, you know, they're so flexible with my program. And without finding JK Williams and Lee Hartoggs, the owner of that, um, I don't think my career would look the same either. So um The whole package really went together very nicely. And I'm still able to be there to this day and be so flexible to go racing. Yeah, it really worked hand in hand.

SPEAKER_02 44:13

It's it's one of those things where you think like, you know, it's a it's a little bit sad that the most successful Australian female race we've ever had and the world has ever seen too. We mentioned the six-day results, um, you know, isn't able to secure a uh salary out of manufacturers or gear or whatever it is to support a racing career. But at the same time, it's also really encouraging and comforting to hear that there are employers out there that are willing to support you because of what you do. Um, you know, they're obviously fans of racing, they have to be if they're willing to let you do that, even if they don't follow it religiously, they must like the sport. So it's irr that's impressive you've been able to make that work. What was through that whole period and I guess the last 16 years, but in particular the back and forth from Europe, working here, taking your money back over there to race, coming back here. What was the hardest part of all of that? Was it living in Europe? Was it thinking, geez, I've made enough money to friggin' live over there? Well, like the culture going back and forth and back and forth from the culture, the flights are killing me. What was the trickiest thing about those three years?

SPEAKER_03 45:17

Uh jet lag. Being jet lagged half a year is honestly um, like I said, it I was very curious. Um, you know, with traveling, I I was very open-minded. I I loved to see, you know, you go to France, and as much as people thought, oh, you're going to France, how good you're gonna go to the Eiffel Tower and hear that. No, we flew in, we drove straight to the racetrack, and whatever town it was, I walked around there in the paddocks like we do here on a Friday before an AUC, but I spent four days doing it. Um, you know, we'd walk the test three times each, kind of like the sixth day. Um, and then you get to explore that small township that we would happen to be racing in, and then maybe before you jet it back, you might have one or two days and see Paris quickly, and then jet back because you've got to get back to work. So it's um yeah, not not too much time, but yeah, it's um we tried to make the most of it in between.

SPEAKER_02 46:14

Geez, that's challenging. Hey, I I would often whinge about having to go over and like do a bike test when someone launches a bike in in Italy or France and you're there for like three or four days. But at the end of the day, I'm just like a punter journo who can't ride like you guys can, so I'm just over there to hop a log for a photo, make sure it looks good, and then come back.

SPEAKER_03 46:33

You spent three days, three to four days getting over the jet lag. Yeah, you may be done your weekend, and then you're turning around and spending another three, four days jet lagging on the other side of the world. So, you know, and um I think on average, there for those years I was flying back and forth to Europe five to six times. So I lost a lot of time sitting in planes and airports, and um, yeah, a lot of time jet lags. So, and then that's why after three years of that, I just said it's too much. I need a home year. Um, and in 2016, I just spent the whole year doing the Aussies again, back with Yamaha, and I missed it at the end of 16. I was like, oh, you know, home's always there, home's always gonna be there, and home has always been there for me. Um, so that's where I went. Okay, I'm doing it again. So 2017, we went back over. Um, Ray Howard again was super supportive of that, and you know, half of my most of my parts budget actually was supported by Yamaha Australia because I I already had my warning from Ray, right? He said you only switch once, you don't go back and forth. So I was like, I can't leave Yamaha again. I'm definitely blue. Um, but we made it work and uh we got a bike over there and uh put put the program together there, and I had a bike shop who was really cool that I'd met over the years of racing, and he actually gave me his personal bike, a brand new one out of the shop. He said, This is my personal bike, but this this is yours. You take that racing, and then uh Yamaha Europe come to the party, and I was able to buy one, you know, it's like a race deal price here at only 15 or 20 percent off. But then I bought that bike, and actually, sadly, on that, in that 17 year, that the only boy that I'd bought in my senior years to that point, the buggers stole it in Slovakia on me. So, anyway, no way. Like, I'm clearly not meant to own a motorcycle.

SPEAKER_00 48:28

So, while we're still on Europe, um, do you remember what year you first got selected for the sixth day and who was on your team that year? And did you guys end up winning your first year? That must have been a pretty good achievement if you did.

SPEAKER_03 48:43

Um, so my first year getting selected was my first year of seniors, um, 2010. Um, but it was in Mexico, so the event still went ahead, but there was a lot of security measures and stuff not long before we went, and Team Australia were actually no, this is um really unsafe, and we didn't go. Um, so the Aussie team pulled out, and luckily they did, like, yeah, there was some pretty bad stuff, and the race ended up getting canned halfway through anyway. So Australia made the good call there. Um, and then so I was really selected again for my officially first year representing the team in 2011. Um, we went to Finland. Um, it was pretty cool. Both both my dads came, my stepdad and my real dad, so that was very special. Uh, first big overseas um outing. And uh no, unfortunately, we did not win. Uh, we ended up third. Uh, we have a really good statistical rate of being on the podium at six days. Uh, I think nearly all of them except maybe two that I've been to. I've done 13, and I think only two of them we weren't on the podium due to injuries, and especially these days, you need all girls counting. Back then it was only two girls times counted, and your third, like your slowest rider of the day, um, whether that's because of mechanical speed, that was like our joker, and only two would score in earlier on. Um, and unfortunately, I DNF'd, it was a full mudder, rain, nothing like I could ride. We were actually riding like ski field slopes as a special test on the side of a mountain in Finland. And um we had one restart for the women's team back then. They they would give us one restart to try and keep the women going. Um, and then as a team, I was the first one not to finish a day. We said, Hey, as a team tactic, what do you want to do? Do you want to let Jess restart or keep that restart for the teams? Because I'm just the only two counted that day, so my time because I didn't even finish, didn't matter. Um, but then as a team, we put me back in the race. Um, and then we were still able to finish third on the podium that year. Um, so that was an eye-opener.

SPEAKER_00 50:41

And then who was on that team with you then?

SPEAKER_03 50:44

Gemma Wilson and Alison Parker. So yeah, oh yeah. The two that were yeah, the yeah, Alison was a ballards girl before me, and then Gemma as was that Australia's first podium, too, for the women then. Uh, I believe the women still podium. Ooh, I'm pretty sure they podiumed when they had Gemma and Jackie. I would have to double check that fact.

unknown 51:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 51:09

Um I'll have a look.

SPEAKER_03 51:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:11

Must have been pretty cool, but to go to your first official one and podium.

SPEAKER_03 51:16

Yeah, that was super special. Absolutely. That was a big eye-opener. Um, that I needed to work some technical stuff as well. All the ones from there, and wow, we need to work.

SPEAKER_00 51:27

To go from there the following years, when was the first win for you with the team? Do you remember?

SPEAKER_03 51:34

Yep, so then we went back in 2012. Uh we went to Germany. Um, that was quite a tough one as well. Um, Germans always seem like to put us in steep forests, and then it rains quite a bit there too, and it's always a really technical one. Uh, so that one was full on as well. Um, we did manage a podium there too. Um, but Gemma actually broke both her legs that year, and um, so that's when I convinced Taylor Jones, because I knew Taylor from motocross racing, and then I convinced her to come across to Enduro, and then that kick started her enduro career too, because she did a she didn't know how to change the tire, never ridden enduro, all that similar story to Maddie Healy last year, never followed arrows, never didn't know anything about it, and we were teaching her how to change tyres at the event. So um that was Taylor's first introduction to the sixth day as well, and then uh 2013 Gemma was back, Taylor was more keen than ever, and that's our first win, um, which was super special in Sardinia in Italy.

SPEAKER_02 52:38

Awesome.

SPEAKER_03 52:38

Yeah, I remember six consecutive, which was um pretty strong. But looking back at it now, um, you know, obviously, you know, you get strategic and stuff in the last few years, and those six years, we were in very dry continents for that period, so it really worked in the Aussie's favor. Um, and at the moment, I don't know if you want to follow the GNCCs, but 90% of them they're raining in the mudder. Um and that's generally what's happened in the last five or six years at the sixth day is it's rained on us every day. You probably see a f post following us, it's raining and it's slippery and it's technical, and the American girls have just had that upper edge on us.

SPEAKER_02 53:19

So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:20

It's been an interesting um yeah, pattern going on.

SPEAKER_02 53:24

Yeah, okay. So Jess, so hopping off a Yamaha, jumping on a Sherko, then hopping back on a Yamaha, going over to Europe, doing your thing over there, etc. Did you notice the bike change much in the time that you weren't on a Yamaha and hopping back on it?

SPEAKER_03 53:37

Uh yeah, there was quite a few changes. Um, generally every three years the WR250 changes, or every model has some major changes. Um, so yeah, it it was quite different. Um, I think going earlier than back at that point, the the chassis was quite different. Um, there was quite a few different bits and pieces. Um, but you know, it doesn't take long to adapt back, and um nothing too drastic changed that I wasn't unfamiliar with after spending so long on a Yamaha.

SPEAKER_02 54:07

Have you had any have you been given any really cool parts to use? I mean, I know you you mentioned you get some support, but have you ever been able to get anything out of the the boys are using that AJ's ever used or in the past?

SPEAKER_03 54:19

Um not too much, um, I guess you'd say, um, especially since I've been running my own team. Um, yeah, we've been our bikes are pretty well, not far from standard, other than, you know, an exhaust to give it a bit more bottom end, and we play around with the sprockets and the gearing and um, you know, triple clamps, handlebars, you know, I run a bit lower band and stuff like that, but not too drastic changes. Um, you know, we've always got to remember that they spend millions of dollars getting these motorcycles right before they release it to us, that they're pretty damn good out of the box.

SPEAKER_02 54:55

Yeah, especially nowadays. Ferris was saying that as well. He's like, you know, he he he's one of the rare few that gets to ride a completely stock bike before he they then have to put sponsors' parts and bits and pieces on it, and he's just like you don't need to do much with a current, you know, a modern modern uh indu or motocross bike.

SPEAKER_00 55:12

No, I feel like too with an induro bike, you're not it's not like motocross where you're searching for power, yeah. You're trying to stay smooth and and get that power to the ground. So for someone like Jess who's only light and small, a a stock bike is plenty out of a WR for 250 for her.

SPEAKER_02 55:28

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 55:30

Absolutely. A big thing, obviously, first thing, and then you know I recommend it to anyone that buys a motorcycle is suspension. Yeah, um, obviously the bikes are set up for like a 75-85 kilo guy, and I hop on I'm only 60. Um, that's something I definitely noticed um straight out of the box. And I've been working with Ian from Pro Moto for a long time, and um that's one thing first goes in, and before I even ride it, suspension set up for your weight and your riding ability.

SPEAKER_02 55:59

Um, yeah, agreed. That's where I British and I at the other end of the scale, uh, quite literally there. And so every time we're working on that same. With the exception of the the Yamaha's, most of them we hop on and we're like, oh Jesus, it feels a bit soft. So I guess you know, like you said, they're not designed necessarily for people who are 60 kilos. Um hey, well, I want to take your job kind of come forward to 2022. You've probably had you know, you've won so many titles, you've done so many impressive things, but to us as you know, punters watching on, I would have thought maybe the most um impressive thing to you and and the thing that's mattered the most was being inducted into the motorcycling hall of fame in 2022. Um what was that uh how did that feel to be recognised as a woman in our sport for everything that you'd achieved and everything that was going on, um, I think kind of at a similar time with with your mum and everything else? How did it feel to be uh seen on the same level as all the other people, all the other men especially that had been inducted into the MA Hall of Fame?

SPEAKER_03 57:08

Yeah, that was super special. Um, and I guess even on the day we were saying with Gemma and Taylor when we were on the stage and we were sitting next to a lady and she got quite emotional next to us, and you know, we just sort of rubbed her arm and said, Are you okay? And and we we learned through that presentation of the inductions that she was there accepting it on behalf of her father who'd passed away and wasn't able to receive it. So to sit there being in, you know, I'm only in my early 30s, Taylor's in the late 20s, and we're able to get that recognition, I guess, so young was like, wow, this is surreal, this is um, this is amazing. Um, and inducted, like I said, alongside Chad Reed. Um, and the guys at my work who don't follow motorcycling knows who Chad Reed are. So it's um yeah, it was very special. Um, and yeah, it was it was really cool. Obviously, we got handed it at the Formula One, and then later in the year at the GP, um, they got us down to Philip Island and we got to do the parade lap of honour. And Casey Stoner let us out. Um, he got induct um upgraded to legendary status on the induction, and um that was super cool, you know. Whether the crowd was waving and cheering because it was us or because it was maybe Casey Stoner helped beside us, but you know, we did some wheelies around on the tarmac and had a really good time, and it was really special to go. Wow, us girls have come a long way, and we've moved some wavelengths here for us to be recognized at this level. Um, and just to see the whole of the Aussies supporting us and behind that was yeah, super, super special.

SPEAKER_02 58:52

You also beat Watsey too. He's getting inducted, obviously, this year, Shane Watts. So you also beat, you know, the legend of this Shane Watts, and I think that goes to show you know six straight ISDE titles. You guys were a pain in the ass for every other woman's team around the world for a very long time. And I can tell you right now, if the American or the French um MX and Asians teams or ISDE teams went uh in the men's category, went six straight, the rest of the world would just genuinely hate them because it's getting annoying. Yeah, so that's what you guys were able to achieve. Um did did did was there any part of you, especially when you were doing that parade lap around Philip Island? It was so cool to see you guys got to do wheelies and uh you know in front of everyone else, but also just like you know, this is our biggest two-wheel event in Australia, and you guys were put there front and center. Did you ever get a chance in your helmet to think like and look back on your career? And was it an emotional thing to ride around um a circuit like Philip Island in front of that many people who are all there acknowledging what you guys have achieved? Was it ever emotional? And did you look back at your career?

SPEAKER_03 59:58

Uh yeah, look, it's always emotional. Um, I guess last year was a year for that to look back and you know be recognized into one Hall of Fame. And then we also Taylor and myself got inducted to the motorcycling New South Wales Hall of Fame, um, alongside Jeff Ballard, Craig Jack, Chad Reed again. Um, so that was really special to sit down and be like, wow, okay, it's um it's really coming together now, and it's um you know, mum was ill at that time too of the second presentation, and to have her by my side still um before you know, physically she looks different. Um that was super special, and then I I broke down in tears on the stage. Um, I tried plenty for everyone in the months prior, um, and I'm able to talk about it a little bit now, but it's um, you know, on the stage when they first said, you know, what does it mean to you and this and that, and I'm looking straight down at my mum, my stepdad was there as well, my dad's stepmom were cheering from afar because you know they were very supportive of what I do and very close to all my parents, and uh that just broke me because you know I knew I I wouldn't be where I am today without them right behind me. Um as much as people see from the outside that this isn't a team sport, it a hundred percent is a team sport. If you don't have everything in line, good parents not pushing you, pushing you enough, but not too much to break you and burn you out. Um, you know, all your trainers, your coaches, uh everything coming together, it just doesn't it it won't work. Um I've seen very little fall out of a lot fall out of the sport and very little make it through circum tough circumstances like that. Um yeah, so I owe a lot to my parents for you know still being there to this day, um, supporting me 100%. And yeah, it it's um very special at that moment to take it all in and um and it was cool seeing so many come on board and support after that too, and um really appreciate the recognition for the women as well putting in behind the sport because it's not just the men that are putting everything on the line and pushing to their limits, training every day, um watching what they eat, watching how long they ride for, where they ride, what they do. Um it's um it's a whole lot that goes into it, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:32

It's cool to think that like your name, you know, it's gonna be that it's there now for the next you know 200 years kind of thing. Um Briggsie's got three daughters. I've got one daughter, and and all four in total are all big into riding dirt bikes. And I can imagine at some stage my daughter's probably gonna ask me, who was Jess Gardner kind of thing, you know, when she's 16 in 12, 13 years' time. Um yeah, and it'd be it's it's a really cool thing to to to have your name in there amongst so many other legends, you know. Like you just said, everyone knows who Chad Reed is, and now everyone is gonna know who you guys are because of what you're able to do. So I think that's that's something that's something to be real proud of. Um, some of the questions we'd like to ask uh to change the tone a bit too, a little bit of fun, is um get you to uh tell us who your favourite teammates were, the most annoying teammate ever has been, all this kind of stuff. Um you can't say your partner, Jeremy, because that doesn't count. That's not fair. Uh but okay, Tina, everyone you've raced for, Sherko overseas, uh Yamaha here, whatever else, who has been the best uh teammate in terms of like, I don't know, trained with you, was the best really good at training or really positive on race day, or drove you to be a better person or a better rider. Who was your best teammate in 16 years?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:55

Best teammate in 16 years, yeah, that's a tough one. Um I've had some pretty cool teammates. Like we started, we had Merriman, who was super cool. Um, he he was very supportive and all for women riding. Uh yeah, that's that's a tough one. We had Matt Phillips as well. Uh he was always a bubble of fun, and you know, he wa he was actually super supportive of women riding too. He was always down for making me better um supporting me through. So he yeah, he'd be um probably up there and one of the cool teammates because he was he was so fun. And if anyone who knew Phillips, he was always down to just riding dirt bikes, have a good time doing wheelies or whatever. Um so that was super cool. Um and then it was very special to me uh with Danielle. Um I think as a woman teammate, um, that was super special to be able to go through that process with her, um, see her ride the roller coaster of emotions that comes with dirt bike racing, because it's not all smiles that you see on social media. There's a lot of tears and um bad times and hard work and grit and resilience that comes with it to then come out on top. So I guess um that one's super special to me as well. Um, but yeah, it's that's a hard one to pin on well on the back of that too.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:24

What what's the hardest race you think you've done? What is it a six-day? Is it is it Hatter? Uh Hada's pretty physically demanding, or even just a tough cross-country like Omeo in the snow that year. Um, I remember Omeo in the snow.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:39

In the world or in Australia?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:40

It just in general. That the toughest race in the general question? Mentally or physically, just yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:47

Yeah, look, Hadda Hada's tough, uh, I guess a bit mentally and physically, because it's a long race, it gets tougher every lap, it's deep sand, it's hard to just keep high intensity. For such a long time. But in, you know, anyone could lower the intensity and roll around and do it. So I guess for me, I would have some pretty horrible memories more from the World Injury Championships. Of just some of the stuff we had to push through, like, you know, me saying if you tell yourself you can't do it, but me being literally on top of these obstacles going, I really genuinely don't think I can do this. As much as I want to, and I might be able to. Some of it, yeah, I like, poor, take a deep big breath in and go for it. But you gotta, yeah, if you want to be performing and on that podium, you gotta do it. The top two girls are gonna do it, so you need to step up. Um, there's been some pretty scary stuff I've done in World in Juro, um, like dropping off two-story buildings off a narrow, skinny veranda. Um, that you, you know, you had to do, otherwise, you weren't gonna be in the bad like the fight for the podium. So um World in Juro definitely still shines for me as some of the most challenging. Six days on a separate challenge again. Uh, that's a big mental game. Um, six days is long, um, especially after you've spent the week before it walking. So your body's already physically, your HRV is nearly wanting screaming red at you, and then you try and go, Oh, now we're gonna go race for six days. Um, by day three, you're questioning what the hell you're doing, and day four, you're basically an autopilot, your body's that sore. It's like, wow, um, it's pretty undescribable, but then you know, it's addictive, it's all addictive because it's it's a challenge that you want to keep going back for and see if you can better yourself and do it all over again.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:58

Well, even on the back of that, too, like you just said mentioned that you had to push out of your comfort zone a few times in the six in Europe. Sorry. How have you also I I haven't known you yourself just to be someone who's a massive crasher or had these big injuries. Have you always ridden within your comfort zone to a degree, or apart from them times in Europe, and and even now are you still in your comfort zone most of the time?

SPEAKER_03 1:08:26

Yeah, pretty well. Um it's really tough training, um, which I've been trying to work on this pre-season, is I've always just trained at 80, 90 percent. Yeah, and um, you know, Jeremy will compare to my times, we've got a little thing like if he takes a minute to do the test, I should be like a minute and seven seconds, like it's a good little challenge when we're training and stuff. And and uh even some of my friends, like Shay, who's doing the women's develop like women's development class the last few years and stepped up in the women's category with us this year, and we'll do some grass tracks, and she'll be like a second or two off me. I'm like, that's awesome, and you know, cheer on and boost her confidence. But then we come to race day, and then I'm like, you know, crazy faster, and she's like, what the hell? And I'm like, I'm sorry, it's just always been my thing in training. I just can't push myself to the intensity I bring on race day, um, which I think is a good trait. I'd rather it that way than the other way, you know. Oh, I'm the opposite. So um I can really step it up on race day, especially when I need to. Um, and I struggle to do that in training, but I think that's helped me be so successful for a long period of time and to avoid a lot of touch wood, leaning on wood, a lot of silly injuries that can come from bad training crashes, like like we've seen coming into this uh A EC season, it was like the two weeks leaving up were injury posts, and it was like and we had two majors as well with Andy and John T.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:58

And yeah, yeah. So what what's your worst injury that you've had and how long did we sideline for then? Because it seems like with all these titles, there hasn't been much downtime, luckily.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:09

Yeah, um again, I've you know I've broken my c left collarbone three times, I've got a plate in there, I had to have another surgery to remove a part of the end of the bone, and I've broken my scapula twice, I've done some pretty serious damage to my pinky at a six day in um I think that was 2017 as well. 2017, that year I had in Europe, was a pretty wild year. I I challenged myself a lot. Um, but you know, legs, legs have been good. Um, it seems to be my left upper body that takes it, and then the pinky seems like probably the littlest one, but it's probably one of the ones that hurt the most um because I had to ride through a lot of them. Um, you know, I I smashed that sixth day, 2017, in France. It was the first day, first special test. It was quite slick in the morning, the grass tracks, typical French grass track, very slippery, third corner in, and they had these massive posts that they decided to line the track with, just not the normal state that you know if you hit them, they generally bounce all snap. This one was like a half a tree, and I leant in and I like opened the corner wide, and I was coming in to tip at the apex, and my handguard was obviously down because I was laying over on that much of an angle, and then I slipped, slipped onto the grass, and my rear stepped out, and then it shot me straight at that post, and I smashed my pinky, and I come through the end of that test. I just remember um looking at Jeremy and that at the end of the test, and I went, Oh, think like my fingers so bad. I was feeling red, you know, seeing red, and he's going, Oh, and I could see a little bit of red blood, like it's a blood spot coming through my glove. And I said, Oh, what do I do? Do I take it off? And he goes, No, no, no, no, leave it on, leave it on. Like, we don't have any to clean it on it, just keep going. And I'm like, Oh, the first test of the morning, I got an hour of trail ride till I see anyone again. Anyway, Taylor stayed with me and off I go. No painkillers because no one had anything at the end of the test, and and then they they meet me um on a roadway somewhere and say, Here, take these. Popped a couple of pills, shoved them in, off I went, kept riding with Taylor and every branch slapping this thing, and I was like, my finger singing off, like it's sideways outside my hand. I'm like, oh my gosh. Anyway, get to the control, there's it all the first aid, the American dog, everyone's there to offer me stuff. Um, Jeff Smith, our physio at the time, they had all the first aid key, all the drugs on the table, what I could take. All right, I'm like, oh no, no, I just took something 10 minutes ago. It hasn't kicked in, but God forbid, hopefully soon it will, because it's excruciating, because the end of the nerves or whatever on your fingers hurts so much. Anyway, so refuse all that, just had I stuck taped it to my other finger. Went to the next special test and seen Jeremy again. I'm like, what did you give me? Because it's not working. I need something stronger. It hurts so much. Like, I am in tears, like, just someone I'm not gonna get through day one if someone doesn't buy me something. They're like, Oh yeah, so sorry we stuffed up. They were just in here flams. Here's some painkillers.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:07

I'm like, oh my god, they're gonna kill something right now.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:10

Anyway, so yeah, I managed to get through it. They called me out of the race because unfortunately, a guy passed away that same day. So the medics of the race were dealing with a lot, and then we tried to sneak to the hospital, get x-rays to see the damage, and it was that badly shattered, dissipated, all all going on, and then didn't know the guy at the hospital was best mate with the guy running the track, and they said, If anyone sneaks in, make sure you tell me. Anyway, got back, and I had Chris Gray knocking on my door at 5 a.m. saying, Hey, you think you tell the race? You need to come with me and go see him to try and convince him to put you back in. And you know, we did some good negotiations, let him let me race, and I had to go see him every Alvo. And that honestly was probably the one with the most grief, and then because it was that 17 year, I had to then I had one more round of the um European championship to try and secure that title, and one more French championship to secure that tile title, and then the French one came first, so two weeks post like crash, had the surgery like the following week, and the cool French surgeon did it for me, took in my handlebars, molded a cast to the shape of my finger holding on to the bar so I could race two weeks later at the French, but then was obviously super weak, holding on with like two or three fingers, and went flying down this downhill jump and uh yeah, just landed wrong and it took its momentum over the bar, bike, smashed me in the back, broke my left scapula. So then I'm like feeling sorry for myself again. Um managed to wrap that French championship up, limped home that day, and luckily I'd already done Saturday, just finished that day to have enough points and win that title. But then the European was two weeks after that, and I was like, Well, I've committed this whole year, and like JK's my work has let me come. I'm not finishing now. So then I went to the European. We had four weeks post-surgery of my finger being duct taped up, and then my scapula just hanging on, had a decent crack all the way through it. Anyway, not displaced and strapped myself up and buckled in and finished the European off and um grabbed that title up. And then I think we still had a world round, but I caught it quits by then. I said, My body needs to rest, I'm gone home.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:12

Sounds like every motorbike racer's got a story like that, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:16

Yeah, unfortunately, yeah. So um, yeah, I've had a few injuries, um, nothing too major, like you said, um, which comes down to I think how I train and how I race and my technique that I have and being not too far from the comfort zone, but just enough to stay on top of your competition and keep that edge.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:35

Yeah, it's impressive. It's it's actually quite impressive.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:39

So yeah, it's not easy. It's not easy.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:43

Hey, Jess, what advice can you give? Let's like specifically to girls, to like young girls listening to this, what advice can you give them um if they are looking at trying to make a career out of racing their dirt bike? Um from it might be uh riding technique or riding ability to fitness or mental game, or yeah, what what specifically for girls are they gonna face in their if they want to make a career out of this that will be challenging that maybe the boys won't have to think about or worry about? And how can they overcome it?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:14

Uh well, as females, we're overthinkers. So, first thing for females wanting to get into any type of physical sport or any sport in general, um, obviously it takes a lot on our bodies and um minds. So to work on the mindset would be number one, replacing the I can't do it with I can do it, and backing yourself. Um, that's a huge one. And then, you know, there's gonna there's gonna be times when the boys are like, oh, she's just a girl, or oh, no, no, that cheek beat you. There's always gonna be that. Um, and I guess not letting those comments affect you internally, which takes a lot. Um, we all go through cycles of you know, that getting in and that being a challenge. So um really, I guess then that comes down to mindset too, of building that resilience and that toughness of being able to block things out and not let it get in. Um, and just knowing that brands are really supporting women at the moment in the last five to six years. Um, brands are seeing the change, they understand the challenge for women, they are very supportive. So if you if you want to ride motorcycles, who's telling you you can't? Okay, so go out there, have fun, um, chase your dreams, make sure you back yourself and put yourself out there as well. Um, you know, approach brands, have a good resume put together, um, to get the backing you need to keep going for a long period of time and then build those relationships. Um, try not to burn bridges along the way because it is a small industry. Um, everyone knows everyone at the end of the day. So um, yeah, to build yourself up a good name and find that backing and try and keep them as family, and it it can take you a long way. It's taken me right around the world, um, except racing in America. Um, I've been riding in America, but not racing in America. But you know, um the opportunities are there, um, you've just really got to go for it and to keep backing yourself to follow those dreams.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:17

What what for your Jess Gardner for the future of Jess Gardner? What you like you said, you're 33 now. Um, the girls coming through are getting faster and faster, and and uh as we get older we get slower, and our reaction time isn't quite what it was when we were 21. Have you ever discussed with your partner with Jeremy and maybe with Yamaha um about what the next two, three years could look like? Um, and if you have, or maybe even if you haven't, have you thought about what you'll do when racing finishes?

SPEAKER_03 1:18:48

Yeah, absolutely. Um it's a conversation that happens all the time, and and that's the toughest thing for women in sport is obviously the age factor um life that you know needs to come and yet to come and all that jazz. So that's always a conversation um you see a lot across all sports. Um, and we're using our bodies, so we need our bodies physically rare and ready to go. Um, and yeah, I've got a plan in place. I've you know built the Amaha JGRF road team up for the last seven years now. Um, I've got no sign of slowing that down. I want to keep building that. I've got some amazing brands by me that have helped build um the women's development program. Um, I want to keep supporting as many women as I can. Uh, for the moment I'm going full in and want to keep performing the best I can for as long as I can as well. Um, so you know it's a little unknown of when is just gardener going to stop and open that build up. But um, you know, when that point comes, uh I'll be still there supporting the next woman that wants to come through, and I'll continue to try and bring as many junior girls up to bridge that gap and offer my support through our coaching programs and um yeah, keep all that going definitely because um I love the sport and it's made me a really cool lifestyle that I absolutely love. The guys at work are always like, you know, you've made your reputation when you get back from a trip and they say, and when's the next one already? So um it it really is um something super special to me and I'm very passionate about. So I'll be in the sport for as long as it'll let me.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:27

Yeah, that's good to hear. Good, glad to hear that you're not gonna vanish. Um because you've been so instrumental for especially for women in our sport to take it to that next level. So that's awesome to hear. Um there's so many more questions I've got, especially about six days, and some of the stuff that um, you know, it's just going through my notes a second ago, some of the stuff that you guys had have had to go through in six days, and uh but we it's conscious of time. We we've talked to Jess about coming back mid-year now that we've kind of had a chance to talk to her about her career, what the future holds, uh, and bits and pieces and overview. We're gonna try and catch up with Jess later in the year as well and talk specifically about some of the stuff she's done that uh at the time kind of went unanswered in terms of um you know you guys were obviously erasing some of the six days and things were happening over there that you couldn't talk about or that you know you weren't allowed to um never got back to it. So I've got so many more questions, but we don't want to keep you for too long. Sorry, but but um anyway, for now we're probably gonna let you go, Jess. Um Briggs, you got any kind of last things you've always kind of wanted, wanted to ask Jess?

SPEAKER_00 1:21:28

Uh yeah, two questions. One, uh who was your hero idol growing up? Was it a female racer? Was it a male racer? Um, was it a combination of both? And then secondly, as the most successful racer, women's racer in probably in the world in off-road motorcycling, what do you want to leave behind? What's your legacy that you kind of want to leave for the younger girls coming up?

SPEAKER_03 1:21:58

Yeah, so I would say from starting the world championship venture, uh Lia Sons would have had to have been my idol. Um, you know, I was a late starter in motorcycling, so it's not like from a young age I was off dancing and stuff when I was, you know, below 12. So um once I started to discover World Endura and following that, and and still to this day I follow Lion. She's off racing cars and you know, doing amazing things in other sports now, even though she's not racing motorcycles anymore, she was a big inspiration for me. And it was cool I actually got to race against her for many years, but then also become pretty good friends with her. Um, go to her house. We did some training together in Spain as well. Um, and she lived around the corner from Garcia too. So that was super cool to be able to then get to know my idol and then train with her, and um still following her to this day to see she's kicking ass in no matter what she does. So that's really inspirational. Um, I obviously do follow a lot of other girls from a lot of other sports too, which you know, after the winter limits just been, and Jess Box is a local Pandruff girl as well, so it's been cool to follow her career, and even though it's totally separate, I know we're all going through the same um you know experiences and diversities at some point along the line um dealing with sports. So uh I guess uh what do I want to be left behind? Um that's a tough one, I guess. Um just that you know the I want the girls to continue racing to whether they're not racing, um, and we see it a lot with our coaching, there's a lot of women who ride. Um, and I want girls to know that even though motorcycling has always been advertised as a male-dominated sport or a male-only thing, it's definitely not. Um we're in the 21st century. Um, there's no more blue jobs and pink jobs. I'm sorry. If I cook, Jeremy washes or vice versa. If he cooks, I wash. Like, um, if you want to ride a dirt bike because you generally enjoy it, go out there and do it. Um, and that's for any sport that you love or want to do. Um, I think there's always ways around everything and hard work and determination and a bit of persistence or a lot, definitely helps with that.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:20

No, in impressive career so far, Jess. I mean, the only one who I can think that rivals it would be Jessica Patterson in America. So hold your head high. You're killing it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:31

Thank you. I greatly appreciate it, guys.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:33

Yeah, it's definitely impressive. Well, thanks, Jess, for coming on. Like I said, we're gonna get you back in the year. I've got lots of questions uh about six days. I want to know what happened with the spectator in 2013. There was some outside assistance, and there was all this drama around a penalty, I think it was 13, in the fur earlier in the week, but you guys were able to overcome it and win a sixth day. You won your first outright. So I've got lots of questions about all that kind of stuff, which we're gonna get to l in a later podcast. But uh yeah, for now, Jess, thanks for coming on. Uh, it's been awesome to get to know how you kind of got to where you are and uh some of the things that you've achieved. And yeah, we wish you all the best for the rest of the AEC season. We hope you kick ass and we hope it's not your last season as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:12

Thank you, appreciate it.