For some, racing is a weekend spectacle—a few hours of thrills on a screen. For others, it’s the air they breathe and the heartbeat of their lives.

Helene falls into the second category. With over 25 years of racing, most of those at the highest level, she recently came to a harsh realisation: Time, the very thing she has fought against her whole life, had finally caught up with her.

At 42 years old, only a handful of people are still pushing themselves to compete in a sport as demanding as downhill mountain biking. With no "Masters" category in most MTB races, she was left to compete against women half her age, or younger. Needless to say, the task was monumental.

Feeling lost and out of place, Helene’s path shifted thanks to a spontaneous Instagram giveaway (win a custom paintjob for your bike) and a single, bold comment: “If I win this giveaway, I will race the bike at the Masters World Championships in Chile.”
The universe heard her call and answered. She won the custom paint job, and suddenly, she was off chasing rainbow stripes once again.

“My previous best result at Worlds was a bronze medal in 4X in 2017,” Helene says. “I’ve always dreamed of more, and I was so happy to get another chance to better that.”

In March 2026, Helene headed to Nevados de Chillán in the Ñuble Region of Chile, 500km south of Santiago. The volcanic range offers terrain unlike anything most riders are used to, featuring thin, sandy dirt that grew looser and more unpredictable under the warm South American sun.

The week began with training to get a feel for the fast, wide-open track. Big jumps and sandy turns were the name of the game, where high speed and total commitment would be the decider.

When qualification day arrived, the nerves were high. She had traveled halfway across the globe to race, knowing nothing about her competitors or where she would realistically stack up. A solid qualification run brought a surge of relief: Helene was in first. But with that relief came new questions: “Can I do it again?”

A crash, a mechanical, a puncture… anything can happen. In a sub-three-minute run, there is literally no room for doubt.

Heading up for her final run, Helene was calm. She knew what she had to do; she knew it was in her hands. She knew the run she was capable of should be enough. It was time to act.

Two minutes and forty-six seconds later, she crossed the line. As the last rider down in her category, she was the fastest of all. She sat in the hot seat, watching as every other category finished. She wasn’t just the winner of her age group; she was the fastest woman of the entire day.

For some, racing is everything. Helene is one of those people. The future may still be a blur, but one thing is clear: it’s not over.

Stay up to date for the full documentary coming later this year.