30-year-old Durbanite Candice Lill knows a thing or two about overcoming obstacles. As a mountain biker and cross country cyclist, she is used to spending her weeks finding the best way to navigate what for others might seem like an insurmountable track through the bush, up a mountain, or across a stream.
Even though she excelled in many sports growing up, the defining moment was when she won the bronze medal at 17 at the Junior XCO World Championships held in Australia. It was there she decided to pursue cycling as a career. Fast-forward more than a decade later and cycling has only benefitted from having this powerhouse compete for South Africa.
Her career highlights certainly make for impressive reading. She represented Team SA at two Olympic Games (London and Tokyo), finished fifth in the World Cup Series U/23, won multiple National and Continental Championships, and finished second overall in the gruelling Cape Epic in 2019, 2021, and 2022.
She cites her Cannondale Scalpel (that’s her bike, for those not in the know) and her super-fancy King Price Xtreme-branded helmet as her pride and joy when it comes to cycling. However, she also understands the importance of balancing her career with her personal life. She has certainly gotten better at it over the years and believes that having people in her life who are not obsessed with cycling and don’t even talk about it with her help to keep her grounded and provide much-needed perspective.
Of course, that does not stop her from having big dreams she wants to fulfil with King Price Xtreme. Candice still wants to become the SA XCO Champion, achieve top 10 positions at the XCO World Cups and World Championships, and get a top 5 position at the Commonwealth Games to be held later this year in Birmingham if she is selected.
Here’s to many more bumpy, muddy, hot, sweaty, steep and rewarding championships and hard-won medals..
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