Becky hails from the Isle of Man and is a former triathlete who had a sporting scholarship at the University of Stirling but unfortunately, she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue in 2019. On her way to recovery, she made the switch full time to cycling – taking part in her first proper road race that year and has continued to grow each season since then.
Becky’s dad was really into football, and she grew up loving all sports – “you name it, I tried it”, with the likes of football, ballet, tennis, and badminton all former pursuits. At the age of 14 she was invited by a friend to do a triathlon and was instantly hooked, eventually getting the sports scholarship.
However, after being diagnosed with chronic fatigue, the sport-loving Becky’s life was flipped upside down and she wasn’t able to do anything, which hit her hard.
“I felt like I was missing out on everything, especially as my whole social circle was involved in sports but in a way, it helped as I could really focus on my studies and my grades improved. Doing psychology, I learned a lot about myself and was able to switch off from my sports worries and could put all my energy into that.”
Eventually Becky was given the all-clear and returned to train, first of all on the bike. It turned out that she would then never leave it; trying her hand at everything such as some track sessions and local crits; before eventually joining a team and going from there.
“I really like seeing more of the world on the bike but also the different type of people you meet, from all cultures and nations; it’s really enriching. I just wish I was more bilingual at times!”
A motivated individual, Becky says that she now doesn’t take anything for granted in life and is driven because of that to do something she enjoys every day, which is cycling.
Describing herself as “driven”, “bubbly” and “extrinsically-intrinsic”, Becky jokes that she comes across really chatty and outgoing, but she is actually quite shy underneath that visage. She thinks all three of those attributes are vital for a career in sports as you have to be willing to put the hard work in to get to your goal, but you also need to be able to communicate with people and manage to get on with them well.
“Knowing each other off the bike then helps knowing each other on the bike.”
Admittedly she was a “little bit nervous” ahead of her first year in WorldTour but she grasped the opportunity with both hands and put in some strong displays throughout the season. Becky has also enjoyed being part of a “professional set up” and learning from riders such as Juliette [Labous] who through hard work has shown how to progress towards the top of the sport. Most importantly though, looking ahead to the future she wants to “learn as much as possible; I want to soak it all in.”
Away from the bike she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, going for walks in the Scottish hills, and sampling good food. At the time of writing, Becky jokes that people might find her living situation odd because she lives with her partner’s parents while he lives with hers – “but we all get along great so it’s not like the stereotypes”.