Some of us will dabble in racing at some point in our MTB lives and some of us will choose to leave it to the pros and admire from the sidelines. For 2018, there’s some fresh talent to feel inspired by on the race scene and one of those athletes is Millie Johnset.

The Norweigan born teenager has already made a strong impression on the race scene for being someone to look out for. Having raced downhill since a young age, Millie is finally entering her first World Cup season in the Junior league under the invaluable guidance from the Atherton Academy.

Rachel Atherton has played a key role in Millie’s development as she speaks highly of her protogee; “Mille is so mature, she is so sorted with regards to how she presents herself, her instagram account gives a real sense of this girl’s dedication and drive, she is having fun riding her bike, training with her friends, she doesn’t feel the need to strike sexy poses or to wait for some editor to come along and organise a shoot, she is telling her own authentic story – and she has almost 10,000 followers already – she’s so switched on“.

The Atherton Academy prides themselves on the development of future World Cup athletes without the pressure of setting targets and results – as if being a Junior in World Cup racing isn’t hard enough!

“I love being part of the Atherton Academy – Rachel is my inspiration – she’s so kind to me with loads of tips and advice. It really is like being part of the family” – Millie Johnset

Because of UCI rules and how they apply to Juniors, Mille will be racing this year’s World Cups for the Norwegian Federation (Atherton Academy isn’t a trade team).  But regardless of the shirt, she’ll be wearing, the Atherton Academy team will no doubt be cheering her on every pedal-stroke of the way.

Tune in to Red Bull TV to watch the first round of the UCI World Cup in Losinj, Croatia this weekend.