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Further to this Buchanan has also been nominated in the sports category for the ‘Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Female Award,’ and is up against seven other inspirational female sports stars, who each demonstrate the strength of women’s sport in Australia, a fact Buchanan passionately acknowledges.

“Australia is a nation of sporting excellence, that prides itself on having a winning edge over the rest of the world and setting the standard,” she said. “They say there is a reason why the boxing kangaroo has punching gloves on, because as a nation we continuously punch well above our weight. And as Australian women we pack a mighty punch, showcased at the past Olympic Games in London when the Australian women came home with more medals than the men.”

On a personal level it has been an extremely successful year for Buchanan who was crowned Australian national champion and National Series champion in April, followed by wins at both the Manchester and Berlin UCI Supercross World Cup events.

A resounding second in the time-trial at the world championships in Rotterdam was followed by the devastation of a crash that ended her quest for back-to-back BMX world titles.

However in a true test of character Buchanan has bounced back with style to be leading the world cup series by a significant margin heading into the final round in Chula Vista, USA next weekend.

A fantastic advocate for all women in sport, her tireless work with young girls within BMX, as part of her Buchanan Next Gen program, is testament to the active role she plays in the betterment and exposure of women in sport. Although Buchanan is doing her best she does stress the importance of continued exposure to help overcome the challenges women in sport face.

“Women in sport need to be supported and recognised for the amazing talent that we have in Australia,” Buchanan said. “Many people are still unaware of the talented women that we have, with many Olympians and World Champions still reliant on day jobs, family income support and living on minimal money with no assets. Without awareness and exposure there is minimal support and without support there will be limited opportunities for women to excel and give back to upcoming women in sport.”

Pics by BdJ