Every great mountain biking journey starts somewhere, and for many young riders living in Queensland’s Mackay region, it begins at the Mackay & District Mountain Bike Club (MAD MTB).
Formed in 2009, the club has been going strong for 17 years with a healthy 350 members currently riding on a regular basis at their Rowallan Park base.
Like any successful sports club, MAD MTB can ascribe no small part of their success to its focus on the next generation. In Mackay, that’s the club’s longstanding ‘Thursday Thunder’ program.
Beginning as a small, informal ride in 2012, Thursday Thunder is now at the heart of the club’s future.
The Mackay & District Mountain Bike Club has run the Thursday Thunder program for the last 14 years. (Supplied).
Run every Thursday during the school term, the dedicated skills program is designed to help young riders learn, develop and thrive in mountain biking.
After starting simply with a handful of parents lending their time, the program has grown into a well-organised and highly respected initiative that’s supported by 14 AusCycling accredited instructors.
Having grown significantly in popularity, the program now supports 90 participants aged three to 16, with additional riders on a waitlist.
But it hasn't always been that way, with the program not immune to the effects of a global pandemic.
"We had to go through a pretty significant rebuild after Covid," club president Justin Goodwill said.
"It was down to as low as 20 riders but through a lot of hard work from a variety of people at the club, we are back to a position where we now have a waitlist."
While he credited a number of factors for the turnaround, Goodwill said one key reason stood out among the rest.
"I think the passion of our coaches is critical," he said.
"They want to see these kids succeed and that passion rubs off on the kids every time they come to a Thursday Thunder session."
The program remains a critical part of the club's foundation. (Element/elementphotovideo.com.au)
Juniors are grouped into five levels based on skill and experience; from children on balance bikes learning to transition to pedals, through to teenagers refining advanced techniques such as line selection and race strategy. Each group follows a structured progression, building confidence and competence before moving to the next level.
Naturally, Thursday Thunder is a key pathway into racing, with many juniors going on to compete in club events.
In a fitting full-circle moment, some participants from the program’s early years have returned as instructors, helping to ensure MAD MTB will continue to thrive long into the future.
But that hasn't been the only positive effect of the program, with the club's female participation also spiking as a result of a thriving junior base.
"One of our main focuses has been building juniors but a result of that has also been a boost of our female riding numbers," Goodwill said.
"Female riders are regularly outnumbering males and it's come as a direct result of our junior program, with a lot of mums joining their kids on the bike."
Main photo: supplied
AusCycling's 'Clubs in Focus' series showcases the outstanding things that our clubs are doing at the grassroots. If you have a great story about your club, let us know at [email protected].