As she prepares for the next chapter of her cycling story, Anya Louw says that some enforced time away from the bike last year has given her new perspective on not only the sport, but life.
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The 19-year-old from Devonport, one of country's rising stars on two wheels, will early next month make the move to Queensland to join the Australian Cycling Academy's ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast team, a move which comes after a roller coaster of a 2019.
Ankle surgery in the second half of the year forced her off the bike, not that she believed that was completely a bad thing.
Louw had a bone spur in her left ankle which needed to be shaved off as it was pushing on some tendons, which required about eight weeks of rehab.
"It was during an NRS (National Road Series race for the TIS Racing Team) that I realised something was wrong and I had got to the point where it needed to be fixed,'' she said.
"Obviously you have the highs and lows in those situations, but the one thing I did learn was perspective.
"It was good for me to be able to sit back a bit and relax for a little bit and just enjoy some other things and step back from cycling for a month or two to take that breather and reset."
Alex Fair
Deputy Editor of The Advocate on the North-West Coast of Tasmania.
Deputy Editor of The Advocate on the North-West Coast of Tasmania.
