An electrician who traded in his tool kit for a mountain bike earlier this year is now travelling the world, competing against the best of the best and creating his own jumps along the way.
Mike Ross says he's always loved anything with two wheels — first riding motor bikes in his younger years, then freestyle BMX — but, when he found mountain biking, he "fell in love with the community".
The 30-year-old spent a decade juggling his passion for riding with full-time work as an electrician in Queanbeyan, just outside Canberra.
A few months ago, he quit his job and went all in to pursue his dream.
"I spent the last 10 years doing my electrical trade and that just allowed me to follow my passion and juggle the two," he says.
"I think it was more difficult than I remember at the time, looking back on it. I don't know how I did that.
"Doing eight, nine hours of work a day and then trying to ride for another three or four on top of that is a pretty big feat.
"Then, this year, I got the opportunity to actually quit my job and do this full time, and I think the results sort of show for themselves really."
Ross has already won a number of medals and trophies, although his most recent triumph is one he won't be forgetting any time soon.
He took first place in the men's speed and style event at Crankworx Rotorua, the first of four stops on the competition's world tour. He's the first Australian to win a gold medal in the men's division.
"I think this medal really shows how hard I've worked for it," he says.
"[It], kind of, brings a tear to my eye thinking about it."
However, that victory wasn't the only first for Ross. He'd previously landed a trick never seen before in competition.
"Mid last year I did a cash roll off a flat drop, which is the first time that's ever been done," he says. "So, think of a 4-metre drop off your balcony, say, and then landing down on a landing doing front flip 360, basically."
With a world tour gold medal already under his belt, Ross says he doesn't plan to slow down any time soon.
"Next up is Crankworx Cairns. So, the next stop of the world tour is here in Australia, which is pretty exciting," he says.
"I think it's a huge step for the community, and Australia in general, to see something of that calibre here."
'We had to build our own facility'
To keep up his general fitness, Ross likes to ride the trails around Canberra, but training for tricks requires a more dedicated set-up.
"For the proper, big, airtime tricks, we had to build our own facility," Ross explained.
"There's nowhere really in Australia that has what we need so we put all of our money, all of our time, into building something that we can train on — and that we can train on safely."
He says he'd like to see better public facilities in the Canberra region that include big jumps for everyone to use.
While mountain biking is often considered a young person's sport, Ross says this is just the beginning for him, and he's hoping to compete professionally for many years to come.
"I'm 30 now and I'm as good as I've ever been and I don't really plan on slowing down.
"I'll see how far I can get."
