At just 13 years old, Jindabyne’s Maddie Lloyd is already making her mark on the mountain biking world.

She has been riding since the age of three and racing since seven, quickly building a reputation for her skill and determination.

During the recent winter season, Maddie travelled to Crankworx Whistler in Canada, one of the world’s biggest mountain biking festivals, aiming simply to gain experience. Instead, she competed in four races and claimed two wins and two third-place finishes in the under-15 category.

She won the Garbanzo Downhill, a seven kilometre descent with a 3400-foot drop through some of Whistler’s toughest terrain, a vertical marathon.

Her time of 15:00.887 minutes would have placed her fifth in the elite women’s category. Maddie also took out the air downhill on A-Line, one of the most famous jump trails in the world, while finishing third in both the dual slalom, a head-to-head test of speed and precision, and the OG Canadian Open Downhill, a steep, technical race.

Beyond the results, Maddie gained valuable experience racing against athletes from the USA, Canada, and New Zealand, riding unfamiliar terrain, and connecting with the international MTB community.

Behind Maddie’s success is a strong local support network. Her parents, friends, and the crew at Thredbo play a big part in encouraging her.

Just as importantly, as a student at Snowy Mountains Grammar School, she is part of the MTB Academy, which has provided structured coaching and a team environment to help her progress.

“The academy has been huge for me,” Maddie said.

“Riding and training with other young athletes push me to improve, and the coaches have given me confidence to take on bigger events. It has certainly helped me juggle riding and school work."

Maddie is already a national champion across multiple disciplines, a three-time winner of the Thredbo Gravity Series, and has been crowned Queen of the Mountain at both the Australian Interschools and Cannonball Festival on multiple occasions.

In 2025, she was selected for the South East Sports Academy’s Future Champions Program and the AusCycling Development Academy MTB (NSW/ACT).

Maddie also benefits from the backing of sponsors including Thredbo, Fox Racing Australia, Norco Australia, SRAM, KWT Imports, Maxxis, Funn, Joe’s No Flats, Ryfe, Pit Viper Australia and SESA.

With her results and commitment, Jindabyne’s Maddie Lloyd is not only a rider to watch but also part of the next generation of women shaping the future of mountain biking.