From BMX world champion to mental health advocate: Shanaze Reade’s journey

Shanaze Reade is one of Britain’s most formidable cycling talents - a three-time BMX world champion and Olympic athlete who has become a powerful voice for inclusion, mental resilience and representation in sport. 

Now a popular figure among sports speakers, Shanaze uses her platform to inspire others through her lived experience, both on and off the track. 

In this exclusive interview with The Champions Speakers Agency, she reflects on breaking into a male-dominated sport, embracing her identity, and the mindset that fuelled her success.

Q: You entered the world of BMX at a time when it was largely male-dominated. What challenges did you face breaking into that environment, and what advice would you offer to others looking to follow a similar path?

Shanaze Reade: “I think for me, like, when I first started BMX, it was a very much male-dominated world, and I kind of got into it, and I guess I didn’t really see that there were no girls in it. I just loved the sport. 

“But I think my advice for anyone is: I loved this sport, and that was my draw, and it didn’t matter who was, you know, if it was men or women that were doing it. I didn’t let anyone stand in my way of, you know, wanting to take part in the sport.

“I kind of always went in with the mindset of, yeah, it doesn’t matter if you’re racing boys or girls - you just do your absolute best and keep the focus on yourself.”

Q: As someone from a diverse background, how do you personally define diversity and inclusion, and why do you believe they’re so vital both in sport and in wider society?

Shanaze Reade: “I think they’re important, you know, across the board. It’s not just in sport - it’s in general. Diversity and inclusion are extremely important to me.

“You know, I come from a diverse background myself, and the opportunities that I had weren’t, you know, from the town that I was in. It wasn’t like what everybody else kind of had - it was, you know, from a council estate.

“And I just think, like, just giving opportunity and, you know, making sure that when I’m doing something, it’s not just, you know, doing it for the early end - it’s doing it at grassroots as well. And that’s important to me.”

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Q: LGBT+ visibility in sport has come a long way, but challenges remain. How important is representation to you, and what impact do you believe it can have on athletes and fans alike?

Shanaze Reade: “It’s super, super important. I think, even like myself, like track, when I was, you know, wanting to come out, so to speak - I felt, like, you know, ashamed and guilt. And there weren’t that many people that were open about their sexuality at the time.

“For me, when I decided that I wanted to kind of say that I’m in a same-sex relationship, I did it in the way that it wasn’t about, like, doing this big announcement. 

“You know, a same-sex couple don’t say, “I’m in a same-sex relationship” - it’s just a relationship. And for me, that’s what I did. I kind of just went about, you know, putting pictures up on social media of the person I was with at the time, my partner.

“And yeah, just - I think it’s, yeah, it’s important to break the stigma down because so many people, since I came out as, you know, I was gay, that, you know, loads of BMX girls and other sports have come out and felt that they could have the strength and the courage to do so.”

Q: Athletic success requires more than physical training. How do you personally build mental resilience and maintain a healthy mindset, both in sport and beyond?

Shanaze Reade: “Building a healthy mindset starts with, for me, routines. Like, I kind of have, like, a daily routine that I do. Gratitude is massive.

“Like, I think for me, what I do in the day is, you know, before I get out of that door and start my day, I take some time and reflect about the day - about myself. So I’m kind of doing some mental preparation before I’ve even got out the door, and that’s like a big, big important thing for me.

“And I think, you know, there are so many self-help books - like, I’ve got loads of them.

“A lot of the things that people are saying, it’s kind of building that mental toolbox up - to have the tools in there, that when you’re faced with, you know, difficulties or, you know, like, we’re in lockdown, how to deal with that. For me, it’s super important.

“I want to educate people more about how to deal with certain things, and actually how the brain is functioning - but in a very simplified way.

“And that’s where I bring my kind of mindset from sport and how I, you know, went about things that way. And I want to pass that on - pass that on to the general public.”

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Q: Looking back on your career, what personal qualities do you believe were key to your success as an elite athlete?

Shanaze Reade: “I was a slave - like, I was a slave to the goal, basically. And for me, the goal was to be the world champion, and it was to be the very best that there was.

“I knew that to get there, I had to be, you know, ruthless. I had to be disciplined. I had to be, you know - it was almost like I had to just really immerse myself in the role as an athlete 24/7.

“It wasn’t like, you know, we’ve done two hours’ training, therefore you go home and switch off. It was like, no - okay, what can I do for recovery? What is going to enable me to be a better athlete tomorrow?

“So yeah, it was just all about, like, being relentless to the ground.”

This exclusive interview with Shanaze Reade was conducted by Chris Tompkins of The Motivational Speakers Agency.

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