Inspirational female cyclist - Emma Davies Jones

June 28, 2024

Emma Davies Jones talks to Sportsister about the London-Paris Cycle Tour and how she overcame serious injury to get back on her bike, compete and win a Commonwealth Bronze medal.

The London–Paris cycle tour started Friday 27th June at 7am and takes place over three day-long stages, broken-up by a night-time ferry to France. Emma Davies Jones is one of only two women in the top group (of four) and has the task of leader; meaning that she has to make sure all her group of around 40 riders are OK.

Emma sustained a broken back after being knocked off her bike in a hit and run accident in 2005, in 2006 she won a commonwealth Bronze medal just six months later.

What and how do you eat at 5am before the start of your race?

Well we have to just eat what we can, we drink Glaceau vitaminwater first thing as it hydrates and gives us some minerals as well. During the race we sweat a lot and lose a lot of fluids so it is essential that we drink this during the day too.

This sounds like a pretty tough race, what are the criteria to enter?

There are no criteria to enter - anyone can have a go, there are Subaru support vehicles all the way so if you get into difficulty you can have a break. We place people into groups that suit their ability. A lot of this race is about the camaraderie and fun, because for many people it is about the achievement of finishing.

What is the proportion of men to women?

It’s about 10% women, so that’s about 23-30 women out of the 300 or so starters. In my group, group 1 there are only 2 women (including me) most are in groups 3-4. We are trying to get more women involved and would love to see this proportion grow .

A good way to get involved is to join one of the training events we run, one is in Majorca and another in South Africa. These also give you the chance to get to know some of the other competitors.

What is involved with your role as group controller?

I have to keep an eye on the group and make sure everyone is OK; I will give advice if it is needed and generally keep the morale up when people are starting to feel tired. The great thing about this race is that whichever group you are in, there will be someone watching out for you.

I think it is quite important for women to see that one of the controllers is also a woman – especially as I am in the top group.

It proves that women can do it and are accepted in the cycling world and I hope that it is encouraging.

So what do you do at the end of each day (during the race) to prepare for the next?

We do a lot of stretching; and there are physios travelling as part of the tour so you can get a massage in the evening, which is a great help. Nutrition is key too, and re-hydration – so again this is where the vitamin waters come in very handy. It can have a very significant impact on your performance the next day if you don’t re-fuel sufficiently.

After an event like this how long before you do another race?

Well normally we would be back at another event the following weekend. For me though this is not the case as I am actually commentating on the Tour De France. We follow it the whole way round, so that will be great, but I will not get a lot of chance for riding myself. Then following that I will be commentating on the Olympics

What are your future plans in cycling?

Well after I sustained my injury I never imagined that I would even get back on my bike and obviously it has really cut my career short. So I plan to stay in cycling and help more women to get involved. I also see myself getting more involved in these (London-Paris) sort of events as well, as I will always love riding a bike.

So talking about the injury - does it have a day-to-day effect on your riding?

Yes, unfortunately there will always be a constant reminder, its not pain exactly but it is always there. As anyone who has sustained a significant injury will tell you, it’s a case of learning how to manage it.

I take a lot of painkillers – I have to take them to help me carry on riding, but its not really sustainable. I was lucky that I didn’t have to have an operation then, at some stage I might have to though.

It’s amazing what you have achieved – did you ever imagine that you would be riding in these sorts of events back then?

No, I never thought I would get back on a bike. Then I didn’t think I would get to the commonwealth’s, and then I would never in my wildest dreams have thought I could get a medal, but I did. Sometimes I look at it and think wow I have achieved quite a lot.

What would your advice be to someone who is struggling to motivate herself after an injury?

Well everyone has her own way of dealing with motivation, but what is key is to never give up – keep pushing.

All I know is that from when I had the accident to when I won my medal I just took each day as it came. I set myself small goals that were attainable. That gave me confidence.

How did you get into cycling?

My father was an Olympic runner, but before that he loved cycling. He had an accident and turned to running to recuperate, then he realised he was pretty good and went on to the Olympics.

After his running career he went back to cycling so we were brought up with bikes around. I really wanted to be good at something, my brother is an extremely talented musician and that was not for me, nor was academia so I focussed on cycling. I did want to be a runner like my dad, but I run like an elephant so I went for cycling and pestered my dad to let me race until he gave in.

Do you ever enjoy just a leisurely ride?

Oh yes very much so, especially now. I spent 10 years training at the highest level and focussing on one goal. Then I had my accident and broke my back, after that I also broke my collarbone and more recently I had a DVT that kept me out of riding. This all happened within 18 months and had a massive impact on my life.

Having experienced temporary paralysis and thinking I may never ride again, I can really appreciate it. I would even go so far as to say I have a renewed passion for it, its almost as if I have re-discovered riding. I have learnt to really enjoy it – rather that just do it because it is my profession.

Danielle Sellwood, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

Emma is riding the the London-Paris Cycle Tour which finishes Saturday 28th June. The event is sponsored by Glaceau Vitaminwater, Subaru, Adidas and others. The website gives daily updates and video highlights on the progress of the ride, check out the site here.

Take a look at Emma’s website to read more about her remarkable story.

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