“I spent a lot of time on the road and track and lost the love of the sport,” he said.
“I’ve been a mountain biker since I was young but thought I would take a different approach to it because I wanted to enjoy my riding a bit more.”
The pair’s first event together was the Volcanic Epic in Rotorua, which was held in March. McCallum said that was the start of things for them as a team.
“We really enjoyed racing together and saw a bit of potential. If we worked together well enough then — when we hadn’t had that much experience together — we could probably do some quite cool things.”
Cool things did indeed follow, with the two banding together to race for a worthwhile cause.
Both now race under the name Spark That Chat, supporting and promoting a special mental health movement in partnership with MSFT Productions.
Jack Jensen, of MSFT, started the #Spark That Chat movement for people who were who were battling depression and other mental health struggles.
“We were pretty much sitting around having a coffee afterwards. I knew Jack from MSFT and knew about the campaign he’d been pushing,” Williams added.
Both saw their new pursuit and cause as going hand in hand.
“We want to do it for the fun of it instead of constantly battling to be at the top end. We believe that if we’re happier and enjoying it more, then the results will come from that,” McCallum said.
Williams’ experience as an elite cyclist made him experience first hand some of the issues relating to the sport.
“Everyone’s always about being competitive, which is fine, but you never produce good results if you’re not good in the top two inches.”
The change from riding solo has also been a big plus for the pair.
“We often do it together with our mates as well. It’s not often we are out there riding alone, which is cool as well because we are connecting with other people,” McCallum said.
“Mountain biking is a lot more inclusive than road cycling ever was.”
Amazingly, in their most recent outing, the Reef to Reef race in Queensland, the team finished in second place, a testament to their attitude and commitment to the cause.
And the pair aren’t stopping any time soon. They’ve also both signed up for the Waka 100 in Rotorua on Labour Weekend.
They will compete as individuals but will still be acting as a “team” under the same name.
While McCallum said they would do the races anyway, she said the team has also managed to wrangle the support of Hawke’s Bay businesses with similar ideals to help them out.
Local favourites such as First Hand Coffee, Luke McGrath Graphic Designs, Brave & Beyond Athlete Management, and Idraw have all lent a hand to help provide gear and financial support.
“If we pair up with some local people whose products and ideals we believe in, then that’s a cool way to get everyone involved.”
McCallum hopes others will follow suit and see the positive link between mountain biking and mental health.
“We’re out there enjoying riding our bikes and getting the mental health benefits from being outdoors, being without mates. [We’re] encouraging other people to do the same.”
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
