IN CONVERSATION: JESSICA PRATT
We spoke to Zwift Academy winner Jessica Pratt about her new found fame, baking, nursing, and the future...
At the end of 2019, Brisbane based Jessica Pratt was thrown into the limelight by becoming the third winner of the Zwift Academy – a tough as nails training program that allows amateurs or semi-pro’s to fight their way towards the grand prize of a 12 month contract with a professional team – in this case, Canyon SRAM.
Such was the limelight that a planned catch up during the Tour Down Under was near impossible, with podcast recordings and team appearances booked in throughout the week. Instead, after racing her bike through the wild weather of the Cadel’s Great Ocean Road Race the day before, and with one eye on a future base set up in Girona, we caught up at Cartel Coffee in Geelong early on a Sunday morning to talk about how the start of the new decade has been.
While she was still feeling the effects of the day before, Jess was an absolute burst of sunshine. As for us? Well we could barely keep it together after a late night of [checks notes] not doing much and sleeping a whole bunch. All jokes aside it was great to spend a bit of time with a young up and comer in the sport, and after a strong start at the WTDU, clearly someone worth keeping an eye on.
A big shout out has to go to Andy for not only making the suggestion to interview Jess, but for supplying the stunning visuals that accompany this interview, the man truly raises the bar when it comes to race photography. Follow him.
I: INTRODUCING
How has your Australian summer been?
It has been a pretty hectic but awesome summer with Canyon SRAM. I’ve still got Herald Sun Tour to come, but to finish 9th on GC at the TDU was pretty unreal. I also had a good start at Nationals, but I’m just learning a lot from all the girls at Canyon SRAM. It’s been an incredible experience so far getting to know all the girls on the team a bit better. It’s all got me very excited to get to Europe.
Yesterday wasn’t your first time racing Cadel’s, but it could have been the most chaotic time you’ve had around the course. How did you find it all?
It was really chaotic for sure, just the wind and the weather – it makes people do silly things. It was real carnage, and that crash really split the bunch up. I honestly thought it was going to be a harder race than what it was, and it would have been nice to be able to mix it up with the girls at the finish but I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, then race over for Tiff and I.
What first got you into Zwift?
I’d just been on an overseas holiday with my family as I finished uni and I saw the email come through for the Zwift Academy. I’d met Tanja and Leah (previous winners of the Zwift Academy) at the TDU in 2018. They were both lovely people and they both told me about it all, but I didn’t think much about it because I was just coming back from this holiday and I thought I was unfit. Turns out when you carry a 20kg backpack all around Europe you’re not actually that unfit.
Getting into work as a graduate registered nurse I thought that Zwift was a perfect way to keep fit with all the shift work I was doing – and a good way to get my fitness back and get into racing – I had an NRS race that was 10 weeks away but things just escalated really quickly. I think that month I took off the bike was a really good thing, and something my body really needed. It lead me to come back super motivated and it all progressed so quickly.
II: PATHWAY TO PRO
For anyone who might be reading this and not have a clue about what the Zwift Academy is, or the process you go through, can you give us a run down of what it was you went through from the start?
Zwift send out an email to everyone who has a registered account, and they advertise it quite a lot on Facebook too for the 5 or 6 weeks prior to the Zwift Academy actually starting. Once you’ve signed up you get access to “Today’s Plan” which is something that lets you track how you’re going against other people which is pretty cool.
From there its 8 or so sessions and 2 group rides on Zwift that you have to complete as part of the Zwift Academy. There’s 8 weeks to complete them, and you could do them as many times as you wanted. I did a few of the sessions twice because I got noticeably fitter as the 8 weeks went on. From there they track your power and fitness and I got selected for the semi-finals which I was pretty shocked about. I knew some girls that were doing the Zwift Academy alongside me and their physiology was amazing, but they missed out on semi-finals so I thought I’d miss out as well, but to make the semi’s was really cool.
The semi-finals was a 2 week period of time sandwiched in between Tour of King Valley and the Tour of Gippsland so I only had 3 days off in that period where there were 4 Zwift sessions and 3 road sessions to complete. So I had to complete my 3 road sessions in those 3 days off which was a little bit stressful. After those 7 sessions in a few weeks, they picked 3 finalists and I was lucky enough to be picked as one of those finalists.
We had a 2.5 week turnaround to get to Spain to join in Canyon SRAM’s 4 day training camp for the finals which was pretty unreal. While we’re there every single move is judged by the girls at Canyon SRAM who are all your idols, meanwhile you’re just sitting there at breakfast with them thinking “oh god do they like me?” In Spain we did a mixture of tests and sprints and stuff, it was like a try before you buy kind of thing where you test the person and find out whether they like you or not before they sign a pro contract which is cool. You sort of know if you don’t fit in too and if you don’t fit in then it can make things a lot harder on and off the bike.
What was the biggest challenge about juggling nursing work with Zwift Academy?
I did struggle because previously I was able to train a lot more. Back when I was studying at university I had a lot more time on my hands so to not be able to put out 20 hour weeks, and do that consistently was tough, so balancing work or being tired from night shift was a bit of a challenge to start with. I’d be doing a 12 hour week and think I was doing horribly because I knew I could put out 20 hours. So the biggest challenge for me was learning to be happy with just putting out 12 hours. Looking at it now I think the difference is that by spending time on Zwift that those 12 hours are 12 quality training hours.
What was is like managing your recovery during such a high intensity period like the Zwift semi finals?
I was really lucky because my mum and my boyfriend are both registered nurses too, so they both really understand and they were particularly helpful through that period of time. I still live at home, and my mum was actually on holidays at the time so she made things a fair bit easier with just things like cooking and helping me out with nightshifts. She knew how much of a dream this was for me so I’m really grateful for her and for my sister and my dad who were really good to me during that period of time, making my life so much easier.
What’s it been like getting thrown into the limelight a bit by being the Zwift Academy winner?
I think I was lucky because when it comes to the Canyon SRAM training camp and the Zwift Academy finals you do have so much media there, like there are cameras in your face all the time. That was a bit challenging, especially during such a stressful period of time, but I think it was really good to get that shock because it taught me how to deal with all that stuff a bit better.
I’ve still got a lot to learn, but one thing I’ve learnt from being a nurse is that it’s taught me how to communicate with a lot of people, and a lot of different people so even that has made it easier. Every now and then someone will still ask you a question, or there will be a camera in front of your face or there is someone recording so you do sort of freak out, but I’m learning to get used to that sort of thing.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt about yourself from this experience so far?
Coming from my nursing experience, its opened my eyes and given me perspective on how lucky I am to have the chance to ride my bike and how lucky I am for this to now be my job. Not everyone is that lucky, and this new perspective I think had led me to appreciate riding my bike a whole lot more.
III: SETTLING IN
How have you found life settling in with the team over this last, very hectic month?
It’s been really, really good. Because I’ve done some of these races before – TDU and Cadel’s for example – it does feel a little more relaxing, and I have been in team situations before but they’re a really nice bunch of girls at Canyon SRAM, there’s a really good support network around the team too which is great, great staff who are all really helpful and are always there if I don’t know something and need to ask a question.
How has it been making that shift from school and local teams, into university and the Australian Development Team, or even the Australian National Team, and now work and ultimately Canyon SRAM?
A lot of people at uni and work don’t really understand. I think I’ve been cycling and finding that balance since I was really young. I’ve been lucky that I’ve had the chance to come through something like the Aussie Development Team because that taught me so much which I think ultimately has made the transition to Canyon SRAM so much easier.
What are you thoughts about living out of home for the first time?
Well when I was away with the Australian Development Team I was away in Europe for 2 months so that was okay when I was 19, and I seemed to deal with that alright. I’ve grown up a lot since then, I think being a nurse has taught me an awful lot. I think it will be good, I’m really looking forward to it. Mum and Dad probably want to get rid of me anyway.
What’s got you most excited for the year ahead?
Everything. I’m just so super excited. Just any race, anything where I get the opportunity to learn. Moving to Girona will be pretty unreal, I’ve never been but it’s like a dream coming true, sometimes I have to ask myself if it’s all real or if I really am just living a dream.
I would love to race in the US, do something like the Tour of Colorado, which is funny because Europe is where it’s at. I know Ella is doing the Tour de Steamboat gravel race in Colorado which is so cool. I would love to race in London too because I’ve never been to the UK.
IV: WHERE PASSIONS WERE BORN
What were some of your earlier and fondest cycling memories?
I probably don’t actually remember it because I was only 5 days old, but my dad did the World Ironman Championships at Kona, so I guess that it’s always been in me to do some kind of sport. He would go and do triathlons so I’d make him go watch the kids race too. When I was 7 I did my first kids Tri, where I thought I was really fast on my little pink bike.
My Dad and I would also do some rides together in Brisbane that would be only around 10km but I’d get rewarded with a sausage roll, so things like that are super memorable. I remember my first $50 road bike, and the first time I tried cleats and I stacked it in the middle of the road and swore I was never going to do this again but I got back on my bike.
What’s your favourite hometown ride?
Mount Glorious or a Ferndale loop.
If we were to head to Brisbane for a weekend, whats some definite stuff we should check out on the bike?
The Goat Track loop, Ferndale loop. There’s some good trails around Mount Cootha and thereabouts. While you’re in Brisbane you’ve gotta do a Riverloop too, if you go there and you don’t do a Riverloop then you haven’t really visited. Theres so many good coffee shops in Brisbane too – Belissimo is always a winner, and there’s so many new coffee shops and great places for a post ride lunch that are opening up.
What’s your favourite post race meal?
One of my favourite meals in general would have to be avo on toast, that’s always a winner. We’ve been really lucky in the team during January, the Soigneurs have been making up some amazing salads with brown rice, quinoa, some protein which has made for great recovery.
Describe your ideal rest day…
Lots of coffee. Just chill out, go for a walk. I like keeping busy though so it still wouldn’t be much of a rest day.
What do you first look towards on your garmin?
I know a lot people only have like one or two fields on their screen during a race but I have something like 9. I think because I like to know as much as possible – time, power, distance, heart rate – finding out how much I’m dying right now.
What’s your non-cycling related claim to fame?
I don’t know about it being a claim to fame but I do a fair bit of baking. Anything sweet. I really like baking cookies but putting a bit of a healthy twist on them, or putting together a few difference rice cakes which I’ve had over the summer which has been good. If it’s something I can fit in my back pocket while riding, I’ll bake it so I can take it on the road with me. Give me any recipe and I’ll give it a go.
V: RAPID FIRE ROUND
Pub or Club?
Club
Sprint or Climb?
Climb
Beer or Vino?
Vino – Red
Aero or Lightweight?
Aero
Drake or Kanye?
Both
Who’s the funniest on the team?
Ella
Beach or Mountains?
Both
How about the most fashionable on the team?
Tiff
Do you have a nickname yet?
Not yet, a few of the girls were jokingly calling me Jessica S-Pratt
Who’s the real mum of the team?
So far I think Tanya.
Apple or Android?
Apple
Favourite emoji?
Laughing face or love heart eyes
Gold or silver?
Gold
Plants or flowers?
Plants, I get hayfever
Coffee: Milk or black?
Milk
Favourite bit of kit:
Apple
Favourite type of soup:
Pumpkin! I ate it for 6 weeks straight when I broke my jaw and its still my favourite.
After we finished our coffees we took a quick walk through a sunny, but very cold and windy Geelong CBD. Soon enough Jess had to head off for a short ride with the team, we had pressing engagements back in Melbourne.
Go give Jess a follow as she makes her way over to Europe. In us she now has a 20-strong cheer squad as she hits the big time.