Shanaze Reade

Shanaze Reade is the Youth Ambassador for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

She’s a former BMX racer and track cyclist whose prime competitive years began in 2002. She won the UCI BMX World Championships three times. 

She was named The Sunday Times Young Sportswoman of the Year in 2007. The same year, she became the Women’s Senior UCI BMX World Champion and at the 2007 UCI Track World Championships she won gold in the women’s team sprint with Victoria Pendleton and again at the 2008 UCI Track World Championships. She has competed in BMX at both the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the London 2021 Olympic Games, where she finished sixth in the final.

With a huge passion for mentoring disadvantaged children, Shanaze will make sure children and young people feel part of this once in a lifetime event, while also delving into the barriers that prevent or discourage them from riding bikes more often.

She understands the struggle to make ends meet and the limits it can put on a young person, including being able to access something as simple as a bike. When she first got into cycling at age 10, she had to rent a bike until her grandmother bought her one for Christmas from a local supermarket. It was on this low-cost bike that Shanaze won her first national title, showing her drive and determination to be the best.  

In partnership with the Scottish Government, Shanaze launched the Free Bikes for Kids scheme.

“For me having access to a bike can open up so many possibilities and I’m delighted to see these pilot projects being rolled out, particularly in hard to reach communities.

I have said before as ambassador for the 2023 Cycling Worlds that I want to help find opportunities for all children in Scotland to get access to a bike and this is a great first step.

“Growing up I had to overcome barriers to accessing a bike and I was lucky enough to be given one to race on, allowing me to experience all the benefits and freedom riding a bike can give.”