BIG INTERVIEWINTERVIEW


RETAINING TALENT, DRIVING CHANGE: UPLIFT’S IMPACT ON WOMEN IN THE CYCLING INDUSTRY


We talk to Rachael Burnside, Founder of Uplift and Head of Marketing and Growth at SHIFT Active Media, about Uplift’s role in preventing industry attrition and fostering professional growth for women in the cycling industry.


I’d love to hear about the beginnings of Uplift. What was the spark that ignited the idea, and how did it evolve from that initial thought to the program we see today?


I was very fortunate to have a mentor when I started in the cycling industry, my MD and CEO at the time, both realised there was a need if I was to thrive and grow in cycling. I was then entered into a mentorship program that was outside of cycling, as the MD, now CEO, Wayne Brown, felt it would be beneficial for me to learn from women outside of cycling, to allow cycling to grow and learn from other industries. Four years later, I realised I was still one of only a few in cycling who’d had a mentor. People were starting to ask me


www.bikebiz.com www.bikebiz.com August 2022 | 21 April 2025 | 11


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