HAVE YOU GOT IT IN 'THE DOG?': A chat with MTB legend former 24hr world champion Craig 'Gordo' Gordon
Craig Gordon grew up in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. An apprentice fitter & turner whom whilst working night shifts in a beer factory noticed a guy with a flash mountain bike sitting in the carriage. An impromptu conversation with this mountain biker would change the trajectory of Craig's life significantly.
1 Commonwealth Games, countless world championship representations, 5 national championships and a world title in 24hour MTB racing, Craig Gordon has an incredibly wide ranging and inspiring story of what it took for him to get to such a level in the sport. Even more importantly, the powerful mental strategies that would keep him going when the going got tough.
A character who does not seek the limelight, his story is worth sharing and we feel incredibly privileged to have heard and now shared just a small part of it.
Passion, power and drive; tune in for a yarn with one of Australia's most down-to-earth sports stars.
Winning the 2006 24hr MTB solo world championship in Atlanta, USA. Photo: 24hrs of Adrenaline.
“ I just went there to win at all cost. So I pushed it, pushed it, pushed it until the body started to shut down.”
Craig Gordon’s notoriety in the MTB world rose to ‘star status’ after winning the 2006 World 24hour solo championship in Atlanta, USA. In doing so ‘Gordo’ put his body into a state called rhabdomyolysis where the body is so severely starved of functioning nutrients due to extreme exertion that it begins to eat itself from the inside out. Gordo spent 3days on dialysis to bring his body back to life. This result and what Craig went through to achieve it may make some ponder ‘why?’, why would someone put themselves on the brink of destruction for the sake of a bicycle race? Well as we discover in our chat with the king of the hurt locker, there is a lot more to this laconic rocket’s cycling story than those 24hours in the Georgian sun. Three key factors have been main stays in Gordo’s life: POWER, PASSION and LOVE. He explains how these fed into each other and how ALL were so important in encouraging him to keep going especially when the going got real tough!
The 2006 24hr world championship was the focus of a documentary feature 24solo.
Receiving his 24hr world championship award from the hospital bed in Atlanta, USA. Photo: 24hrs of Adrenalin
“You’ve gotta wanna to go out and take the bull by the horns so to speak”
Gordo took to mountain bike riding as a young apprentice fitter and turner working a factory job in Sydney. Racing soon followed as the former soccer player’s competitive instincts set in. Although getting beat in B grade local races, the fire in the belly had been lit. Gordo continued in his pursuit of the sport rising through the ranks in Australia to a top 20 in his first world cup and a selection for the Sydney 2000 Olympic team. However, the bad luck that would also become a factor in his cycling career also started disrupting his progress as his home Olympics was approaching. A broken back was among the first of a long list of serious injuries that Gordo would endure. But, Gordo would assert that you can make your own luck in life and after each injury he was back with an even stronger fire in the belly.
Gordo and Cadel Evans at the 1999 Oceania championship. A test event for the Sydney 200 Olympic games.
“I think that’s a big thing in sport where you have aspirations, you look at the people who are ahead of you, and you have RESPECT for those guys and THEN think- you know what I’d like to ride with them, and I would think it’d be an HONOUR to ride with those people. ”
Gordo would continue with an international MTB racing career doing countless world cups and world championship events across the world. In 2002 he finished 5th in the Commonwealth games race in Manchester. He would continue his trade at home in Australia for 6months of the year to predominantly self fund his dreams and work his training around a heavy work load doing many different jobs from working in factories, underground in the mines, night shifts, day shifts. His bike would remain in his life and was able to use the work he was doing as fuel for the fire of his ambitions.
The 2002 World Championships in Kaprun, Austria.
“I don’t feel like my work was any disadvantage at all. In fact I think it’s a bit of character building, no regrets whatsoever. ”
When back in Australia Gordo admits he would be “working, riding, training, working, riding, training”. But alongside him the whole journey is his wife Anita whom he asked to the year 10 formal as a 16 year old at high school. They worked as a team throughout his career and indeed life before and after. Gordo is quick to assert that none of his cycling achievements were in any way possible without his wife Anita. In fact during his famous victory at the 2006 24hour worlds he had a picture of her on the top tube of his race bike. Hence, he is a big believer in developing and sustaining a strong support network around your dreams. Nothing worthwhile was ever achieved alone.
Competing recently at a rocky trail event in Canberra. Photo: Russ Baker
“You never, ever forget where you come from.”
After injury again foiled his selection for the 2004 Olympic games Gordo relaxed the overseas racing dream and stayed in Australia more or less for the remainder of his continuing racing days. Finding success in the marathon discipline of mountain bike racing Gordo would win 6 Australian championships in this discipline and also a 24hour national title. The hunger to race remained and the hunger to do well still remains to this day. Gordo is adamant the biggest part of the battle comes from the mind. With a savvy ability to turn most anything in life into a motivating fuel Gordo would use this all the way to the start line and then throughout the race to the finish line. This became even more pertinent as the races he was training for became longer.
“I used to be on certain start lines of like national rounds or whatever, and guys would just be talking BS. And I was just sitting there thinking; just keep saying more and more. Cause this is just more fire in my belly. I am just going to tear all your legs off!”
His training regime was always one worthy of respect. Gordo’s name became synonymous with pushing a BIG gear. He explains how the SE (Strength Endurance) work would work well for him. Listen as he explains the many many 30minute hill repeats he would do. Always in ‘the dog’ which is the term he affectionately coined for the largest chainring on his bike. How often do you use ‘THE DOG’?
There is so much to this story and wish we could have another dozen episodes to explore some more of the landscape of this cycling journey. As is often with the most interesting stories in life they do not often come from those eager to tell them. Craig Gordon a humble, laconic, grounded yet confident bloke as happy with his work mates and family as he is mixing with world and olympic champions. Admittedly is always up for a chat with the next generation or anyone wanting some advice, so if you see Gordo at some of the local races in Australia be sure to say G’day. His 50th birthday is coming up so wish him a happy birthday also!
Full episode available now on spotify and itunes.
Thanks for the chat Gordo!