Kiara Fontanesi is Back on Track: The WMX rider you need to know

Stretches done, body armour on and ready to do battle, Kiara Fontanesi begins the race in pole position, as she is accustomed to doing. But after being wiped out early on in the competition, her hopes are dashed. “When you win you don’t get stronger”, comes the sage advice from the experienced veteran. Words such as these are little comfort though for a competitor who is by now used to winning big and in badass style. Coming off the track, the mud settled, fatigues torn, she is battle-hardened.

That day saw fellow Monster athlete Courtney Duncan being crowned the 2021 WMX World Champion for the third time. For Fontanesi though, it was a time of reflection, explored in detail in the video she is now releasing. “Motorcycle racing is my lifestyle, not my life”: a sentiment that we get to grips with in this personal portrayal of Fontanesi’s life, both on and off the bike. 
 

To the fans, it is her stunning performances over the years that matter above all else. An absolute renegade on the bike, Fontanesi has been the FIM women’s motocross World Champion a staggering six times, a historical record that will take some beating. 

“I lost focus” - she needed a break. We might expect someone pushing it as hard as she did to burn out, what is less expected though is how quickly she was back on the bike. “My body needed a shock and to reset”, and reset she did. Just three months after giving birth she was lining up for the gates at Matterley Basin in 2020. Her first win of that season came a week later at Valkenswaard where she absolutely ripped through the track, proving she is a serious threat in the world of WMX. 

In a sport where on race day it’s just you out there, alone on your bike, pitted against everyone around you, there is nothing more crucial than a support network. Fontanesi’s academy, which she describes in the video, is about giving back to young people. They come to the academy for training, both physically and mentally. As someone with a story to tell and some seriously badass credentials, Fontanesi is the perfect figure to look up to for the young hopefuls. They take her seriously both on the bike and off.