Manon Carpenter is a downhill mountain bike world champion and advocate for the environment living in Caerphilly, Wales. She recently premiered a documentary film titled Trails on Trial that explores how trails connect the land with communities and various stakeholders.
In this interview we ask:
- When did you first get interested in the idea of environmental protection?
- Was the connection between biking and the environment always pretty clear to you, even as a professional racer?
- What are your local trails like? Who builds and maintains them?
- Why do you think mountain bikers have a bad reputation among some environmental groups? What can we do to change that?
- If “trails come and go,” what does that mean for us as mountain bikers?
- Where are some of your favorite places to ride around the world?
- Should we be concerned about the potential impact over-tourism might have on places? How can this be mitigated or offset?
- Do you see a connection between climate change and trail conditions?
Check out some of Manon’s videos, including Trails on Trial, on this Youtube playlist. You can follow her on Instagram @manoncarpenter.
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3 Comments
Mar 15, 2022
Mar 15, 2022
Calling Carpenter a past-their-prime athlete is laughable. She retired from racing at the ripe old age of 24, having podiumed at 3 out of 5 World Cup DH races she entered in her final 2016 season (she finished top 5 at all 5). She is the definition of an athlete choosing to pursue a higher path DESPITE being at the height of her racing career. Hard to think of any athlete in any sport who left on top like she did.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manon_Carpenter
Mar 15, 2022