Interview WALDO & ROXY RIDE THEIR MTB HEARTS OUT! 24 March, 2023 Meet the Wicked dynamic duo of Roxy Baynes & Waldo De Wet! Two fearless MTB riders and adventurers of life! We met Waldo & Roxy in South Africa about a year ago and have been watching these two live their life full of love, determination, and of course adrenalin! We like to introduce you to the Fam and give you an update on some of their recent races and adventures… This duo is always ready for any challenge! Meet Waldo De Wet… “I started my racing career when I was 10 years of age racing quad motocross and enduro as a young boy and that’s where my passion grew. After winning a few provincial championships I stopped at the age of 15 due to school ruby and pursued school sports instead. At 19 I started quad offroad/enduro and Motocross racing again for 2 years and then moved over to MX bikes racing the SA&WP championships in MX2 2013-2014. In 2020 I started riding enduro mountain biking and downhill mountain biking and quickly fell overly in love with the sport of downhill racing and the people involved in the sport! I compete in the Western Cape Downhill series as well as the South African downhill series. We just raced the 2023 South African champs where i placed 3rd in Sub Vet mens in tricky conditions and also with a bad shoulder injury. I have travelled to France in 2022 to ride the slopes of the french alps. Downhill mountain biking is special in my heart, especially the racing part. Wearing a riding kit that fits me comfortably and looks the part is very important to me as I feel that is how I can express my personality looks-wise while at the races. And obviously, if you feel good, you ride well and are just in a better mental space, which is very important in downhill mountain biking. The sport is growing very quickly with lots of youth joining the sport worldwide and it’s all about having fun on your bike! If there’s a message I want to spread it would be to go out into the mountains, where ever you are, and just be active and enjoy life and make the most of it!” The duo schralpin’ the mountain! Meet Roxy Baynes… “The perfect example of, you only get better with age. I’ve always been competitive in loads of random sports But in 2020 my world changed with the news of breast cancer. Being the go-getter I am, I bought an older specialized stump jumper to start a new hobby, a distraction! I put everything into it as I knew I would, and through it all I rode, we are so resilient with people.. I hadn’t done anything like this before and DH is fascinating. It’s such a humbling sport, there is no modification that can make you faster! It’s all down to you! I love to remind people just how capable they are! Your mindset is everything. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been 3 years later and challenging some of the best trails in the world is absolute life!! Pack ya bike, get out there, and shred with anything you do, go flat out🤘🏼” “P.S Oh I’m cancer free and now I have a Trek slash 😉 “ South African downhill national champs 2023 in Sabie. Waldo and Roxy drove a whopping 1800km from Cape Town to beautiful Sabie to race the 2023 SA downhill champs in some spectacular pine forests. The weather made it a super interesting and challenging weekend with lots of rain turning it into a super sketchy and muddy trail on the race day.Waldo de Wet ended up claiming a fancy 3rd place in SubVet men’s and unfortunately, Roxy Baynes did not quite make it to the podium. It certainly was a very tricky trail, with an actual cyclone only a couple of kilometers away and a rainfall of 20mil on race day that presented peanut butter conditions, with a lot of slipping and sliding, which overall made it a real race to remember!In the end, there were great laughs, healthy competition, and the most beautiful views of South Africa that lifted the spirits. Send it 🤟🏼
