Founder and Owner of Trailhead Coaching
Jo grew up riding bikes, naturally becoming hooked on the freedom, independence and the places it allowed her to explore throughout her childhood. During the late 90s Jo rekindled her childhood love of riding and discovered mountain biking and the opportunities it allowed her to travel, explore, keep fit and connect with like-minded people.
Jo completed a 6 year stint of XC racing at the elite level. The opportunity to travel and race overseas following the world cup circuit and representation at multiple World Championships were career highlights for Jo. Jo has also dabbled in multi-day MTB stage races, a solo 24hr race (Obtaining the National Title), Team 24hr racing, and also Gravity Enduro.
Throughout all of Jo’s racing, the strength that flowed through each experience and discipline was; her technical ability to apply skill and ride challenging terrain smoothly, fast and with efficiency. Technical skills; and the continual learning and refinement of these throughout her riding, is what drives Jo.
Jo started skills coaching in 2011, she enjoys the process and loves to share her love of riding along with tailored instruction that enables others to unlock their riding potential and progress with confidence.
Having a career in Primary Teaching Jo was motivated to step out of the four walls of the classroom and make MTB skills coaching her full-time gig! Her special interest is working with kids and providing a pathway to progress in the sport. Her goal is to eliminate barriers to participation in the sport and she believes that skill acquisition can assist in and encourage greater engagement.
In 2022 Jo became Australia’s first female PMBIA Instructor Trainer. This role enables Jo to contribute to the growth and development of the MTB skills coaching industry here in Australia which is something she is very passionate about.
Daan started riding in the nineties, trying his hand at a few amateur down hill races but generally rode bikes for fun. With a group of friends Daan started a mountain bike club in the Netherlands called (a bit outdated) 26” mountain bike club!
Bike riding took a back seat when he moved to Australia, but his love for the sport rekindled when his brother-in-law left a bike behind when moving to Canada, it was at this point that he got involved in the local riding scene. Daan loves showing people the local trails and if he is not on his bike he is generally out and about maintaining the areas many trails.
Daan started coaching with the Bendigo Mountain Bike Club’s 2Wheel Academy in 2020 and became an accredited Level 1 PMBIA coach the same year. He gets a lot of joy seeing riders improve their skills and confidence to tackle more challenging terrain and generally have more fun on the bike.
Daan joined the Trailhead Team in 2023 and coaches in Castlemaine, he is available for private and group sessions.
I grew up on Yorta Yorta country (Echuca) but have always had an affinity for Dja Dja Wurrung country. The rolling hills and the Ironbark trees are in my soul and I love this land so very much. Riding gets me outside and into nature. This is where I find my happy place!!
I’ve been riding bikes since the age of 4.
I bought my first REAL Mtb from Moroni’s bike shop in 1999 and not long after that purchase I started racing at our local club races. I soon got fitter and my husband and I started riding in other destinations, we loved experiencing other singletrack around the State.
We started racing the State XCO series, 24 hour Races and Wildside stage race in Tasmania. We continued racing and when we weren’t racing we were organising and running club races. We also started the Castlemaine Rocky Riders Club, along with a small and passionate group of people.
I’ve been parenting for 15 years.
I was a teacher at TAFE, teaching hairdressing for 4 years.
I’ve had a keen interest in helping people take up and progress their mountain biking for 24 years…..
I’ve been a qualified PMBIA Level 1 Coach for 1 year – and I LOVE it!!!
I love a wide variety of trails – technical, old school single track that is rocky and pinchy would be my favourite style of riding.
So, home trails around Bendigo and Castlemaine are still very enjoyable after all these years!
I recently purchased a bike with 140mm of travel in the front end so that I can explore some trails with bigger drops and more technical features. I’m super keen to continue my skills practice and learn to wheelie, manual and do jumps.
I’m sure my passion for riding and sharing my knowledge is written all over my face?? I have had many years of riding with some amazingly skilled riders who have all continued to inspire me for over 20 years. I hope I can continue to inspire people to be amazing MTB riders for a long time to come…
I’ve been hooked on bikes since I was a kid—chasing freedom, adventure, and any excuse to be outdoors. Growing up on Wurundjeri Country in Melbourne’s western suburbs, riding was a big part of everyday life and something I’ve kept coming back to over the years.
My pathway into coaching came through a mix of timing and curiosity. While completing a degree in exercise and sport science, I stepped into a Bike Education teaching role—what initially felt “too good to be true” quickly became a passion. Soon after, I took on a role as a Triathlon Program Coordinator and Coach, and just like that, my love of sport and teaching aligned. In 2024, I joined a women’s social MTB ride and then attended a Trailhead MTB Coaching retreat, where I deepened both my riding and coaching skills. After many hours learning and refining under expert guidance, I’m now proud to be part of the Trailhead team.
With over a decade of experience organising and delivering events—from grassroots participation through to large-scale triathlon events for thousands—I’ve worked with a wide range of riders. My background includes teaching Bike Ed to primary students, coordinating secondary school triathlon programs, and mentoring young riders through community MTB programs. I’ve also spent 26 years parenting, with bikes and sport always a central part of family life.
As a rider, I’ve raced long course triathlon and competed in road and criterium racing, drawn by the strong sense of community and connection. These days, I’m more focused on skill development and exploring trails, with favourite riding spots including Creswick and Bright. What I love most about mountain biking is its flexibility—you can challenge yourself as much or as little as you like, ride socially or solo, and always find joy in the process.
Outside of riding, I enjoy snowboarding, gravel riding, camping, hiking, and the occasional round of golf.
As a coach, I bring empathy, energy, and a genuine love of helping people progress. I’m passionate about creating supportive environments where riders—especially youth, women, and girls—feel confident to try new things. Seeing someone achieve something they never thought possible is what drives me. With the right support, encouragement, and a sense of fun, incredible growth can happen.
Trailhead Coaching pays their respects to the Djarra people, the traditional custodians and first nations people of the lands on which we work and play. We show our respect to the Djarra people and other First Nations people past, present and emerging and express our deep gratitude for their continued care of country.
Trailhead Coaching is a licensed tour operator with Parks Victoria.
