A champion mountain biker inspired all ages in Aberdeenshire yesterday with exhilarating tales from her life both on and off the hills.
Glasgow 2012 Commonwealth Games athlete, Lee Craigie, was in Huntly to discuss her experiences competing at all levels of the extreme sport.
The 36-year-old visited Huntly’s Gordon Schools to give a talk to S1 and S2 pupils before heading to the Gordon Arms Hotel for another motivational presentation.
Ms Craigie won the 2013 British mountain bike championship before going on to represent her country at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Prior to her sports career she worked as a mountain guide and participated in a huge range of outdoor activities both in the UK and abroad, before becoming a child and adolescent psychotherapist.
Originally from Glasgow, she did not begin competing in mountain biking until the age of 26 and quickly established herself as the fastest female XCracer in Scotland.
Ms Craigie finished seventh in the women’s mountain bike race in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, after which swapped elite level competition for adventure and exploration.
Recently she became the first person to complete an off-road traverse of the French Alps fully self-supported on a Fatbike.
The events were organised as part of the Huntly and District Development Trust’s Tales from the Tyre series, which also recently brought long distance athlete Mark Beaumont to the town.
Group member Naomi Mason said Ms Craigie was “inspirational”.
“She told the children about her time as a competitive athlete, but also about her more recent adventures – fulfilling her passion for cycling and exploration,” she said.
“The children were all really engaged with what she was saying, and seemed to be really enjoying the event.
“I hope it will show them that with determination and belief they can achieve anything they dream of.”