Rachel Atherton Wins BTSport Action Woman Award

In a special edition of The Clare Balding Show on BT Sport 1, January 25 at 9pm Mountainbiking's very own Rachel Atherton was crowned BT Action Woman of the Year.

The award was designed to honour the sportswomen who have made the biggest impact and produced the most dynamic performance in this year of sporting success. The short-list of nominees saw Rachel pitched against nine extraordinary women already widely recognised for their exceptional contribution to their sport – sports such as tennis, football, athletics and swimming which have undoubted enjoyed far greater mainstream recognition than our own.

Accepting the award on behalf of the entire mountain-biking community Rachel said

"Wow!! I'm absolutely gobsmacked to have won the first ever BTSport Action Women Awards!

The first thing I have got to say is a massive Thank You to every single person who voted for me and our sport, allowing me to showcase what a jaw dropping sport Downhill Mountainbiking is. This is a huge milestone in my career!

The short list for this award was stacked with women who I personally take inspiration from, being considered alongside them means the world to me and gives me even more motivation for the coming race season!

Thanks also has to go to all my fantastic sponsors and my AMAZING Team and Family, without whom I would be less than nothing. Of this I have no doubt.

Adding this award to my World Titles goes a long way to saying Thank You to all these people, because it's true that you really are only as good as the team around you. That team now includes everybody who voted in such a prestigious award, and the family of BTSport, for making such a huge salute to the World of Women's Action Sports. Thanks Guys!

Atherton Racing's Team Director Dan Brown said, "I'm sure that everybody will want to join me in congratulating Rachel. This fantastic award is well deserved and repayment for all of the tremendous hard work and super human effort that she put in for the entire 2013 season. As Rachel says, this accolade goes beyond being an award for one athlete. Mainstream recognition for our sport doesn't come around often and this award was won through the outpouring of support from an entire community. This one is for all of us.

Photo credit: Sven Martin