For a local cycling champ who has been taking on the world, there’s nothing quite like support from home!

Emily Hines has been living her dream in Belgium and France after accepting an invitation to join a professional club there, and was so excited to get a bell from the folks in the Orana.

“I had a phone call from Matt Gilbert, ‘Fleuro’, and all the little kids from the club, and that was so lovely,” Emily recalled.

“They were all asking how it was over there in Belgium; they were very excited and it was so good to talk with people and help the little riders at Dubbo Cycle Club,” she added.

Emily has been competing with the best in world at the home of cycling in Europe after accepting an invitation to join a professional club.

“After the Nationals last year where I rode in many of the emerging riders’ events alongside Australia's best, I was encouraged to apply for a berth on a high-profile team,” she explained.

“I received the news I’d been accepted when I was riding the last round in Brisbane.”

Emily says her mum and dad totally supported her in pursuing her goals. Her journey saw her living, training and competing in Belgium where she was billeted with local families.

“We knew it was going to be self-funded, but my parents backed me and I cannot thank them enough,” the humble Dubbo College HSC student smiled.

“”It was nerve-wracking not being able to speak the language, but Google.doc became my best friend,” she laughed!

Emily has spent a lot of time on the tracks around the nation but, after her recent experience in Europe, she sees her future career on the road.

“It is very challenging and I will need to put plenty of road miles into my legs over the next six months to set myself up for another stint against the best young riders in the world.”

Emily’s journey was memorable in many other ways as well.

“I lined up for my first race and there were more than 50 riders; that’s probably double what I would usually race against here at home.”

The strapping youngster came down in a crash early on that left her scared.

“The officials took me over to the medical team, but we couldn’t communicate!” Emily recalled.

I think they just looked at the areas where I had lost skin and patched me up,” she said.

The attention Emily received must have been more than adequate as she was back in the saddle again riding in Belgium and then into France.

“The hills we ride on out here are just little pimples compared to the massive mountains we had to climb over there.

“It really tested my strength and endurance and has given me a lot of knowledge about what I need to do now.”

Emily says her Dubbo club is magnificent in the way it nurtures all its young riders.

“We have had so many champions emerge like Danny Barber and Megan Dunn (now Reakes) but it is the attention to the needs of those learning to pedal is the most heartening.

“Everyone is treated the same; our champions never forget where they started and will come home and ride up to little ones and give them a smile and a hand.”

Emily is now concentrating on upcoming HSC exams and then it’s off to Nationals and hopefully onto a jet and back to France and another catch up with former club-mate, Hayley Fuller.

“Hayls was manager of the team I finished with in France,” Emily revealed.

“She is such an inspiration and a strong mentor so with some luck, we can get together again in the new year,” she concluded.

Emily Hines, another of our talented young athletes, chasing their dreams!