She’s a BMX World Champion, Mountain Bike World Champion, and dual Olympic athlete, but Caroline Buchanan would never let the titles and accolades go to her head.

Breaking through glass ceilings since she was little, riding on a dirt track amongst the boys, the limitations women face in male dominated sports is nothing new to Caroline. But she’s determined to be a role model and mentor for as many young girls as possible.  

At nine years old, Caroline vividly remembers turning to her dad after competing at the Paris World Champions and saying, “I want to be a professional BMX racer”. The typically male sport hadn’t yet made the Olympics, and women were scarcely seen flying around the berms.

Spending her childhood at the Canberra BMX Club, Caroline trained hard on the track to eventually become one of the most recognisable Australian BMX racers of her time. The Olympian credits her dad for making her dreams a reality from behind the scenes, finding her a media liaison, booking sponsorships, and building her international profile.

For the young females of today dreaming of battling it out in the dirt, Caroline is not a far-fetched, untouchable figure; she’s right on the sidelines, cheering them on as they race down the last straight.

“For me, it’s more about the legacy I leave. It’s important because it was a big void in my career, so I want to be visible and approachable to young girls. I want to bridge the gap and bring their dreams closer to them,” she smiles.

This legacy began in 2014 when Caroline formed her Ign!te female mentorship program, giving young girls a woman they can look up to in a BMX world dominated by men.

“It started roughly nine years ago, and really the reason behind it was because I wanted to start something to give back. I didn’t know it would end up all these years later with 14 girls and over $100,000 worth of funds,” Caroline says, proudly.   

“There’s so much limitation in support for women in male dominated sports, so this little sponsorship grew into more about how far my mentoring and a small financial investment can directly impact these girls and change their world.”

To receive a scholarship, the budding BMX champions pitch their projects to her and explain what they want to put the $4,000 towards. An extra $1,000 is then allocated as a content budget and, with Caroline’s guidance, they learn how to build up their social media profiles to make them the “whole package”.

“I just want to be that extra person in their life. For me, I had Layne Beachley and I could pick up the phone at anytime and call her. More importantly, she believed in me, and words can last a lifetime,” Caroline says.

“The girls know they can send me a little video of them training or to ring me if they need a pep talk before a final. It’s really crucial for them know they can make it to the top, and I’m here to help them every step of the way.”

Raised in Canberra, Caroline made sure to give back to ambitious local girls by awarding a few of the scholarships in the ACT.

Knowing the names of each girl off the top of her head, Caroline’s pure admiration and affection for her riders is evident.

“The two Canberra girls we gave scholarships to are Sarah and Nicki. Nicki needed coaching support and an airbag to progress her tricks safely. She’s a real standout – she’s been working so hard on her craft and her goal is to get to the next Olympics,” Caroline gushes.

“She’s for sure the next wave of talent right now, and all she really needed were some key pieces to her puzzle through the scholarship.”

Caroline has dominated the BMX scene throughout her career, but one thing she actively promotes to the girls she mentors is to not put all your eggs in one basket; be diverse because that’s what will set you apart.

“Out of the 15 girls we’ve had so far, Dezere Barnes has really inspired me because not only has she taken a BMX world title, but she’s also become an ambassador for Puma and gone to the Commonwealth Games for weightlifting. She’s just so much diversity in her career,” Caroline says.

In her decades of flying the flag for women in action sports, Caroline has seen the narrative about female athletes shift drastically.

“It’s better to be a female in male dominated action sports now than ever before. There’s an advantage in brands and endorsements and there’s such a viable future in any action sport now,” she says.

“BMX was the first action sport to go into the Olympics and now there’s five – it’s definitely changing some of the perceptions.”  

Caroline’s scholarship is open to girls aged 13 to 19, and is accessible to BMX, Motocross and Mountain Bike athletes.

“The local Canberra company, Rubik3, has been behind the last three years of the scholarship, and I’m really proud this year to be bringing on merch and other revenue to help make sure this keeps on going,” Caroline says.

“My best advice for any young girl in the BMX world is that whoever you’re inspired by, whether that be Sally Fitzgibbons or Jess Fox, follow them – see what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, what they’re eating, how they communicate.

“What we absorb is so important and it’s a big part of your career. Get out there, be a consistent and a unique athlete, and build up your own brand in whatever you do.”

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