While many of her peers built lifestyles (and in some cases, careers) around downhill and enduro mountain biking, Ella MacPhee took a road relatively less travelled. She became a cross-country athlete.
MacPhee was raised in an active and adventurous Squamish family, so bikes were a natural part of her childhood. However, she didn't fall in love with riding until the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted her routine as a competitive dancer. Her first race was held in 2021 and she didn't look back.
"I think [dance] helped me learn how to work hard and be dedicated and driven to something. It's definitely a very different sport compared to mountain biking," MacPhee said. "I really love the physical side of sports: cross-country running, cross-country skiing as well. I love pushing my limits everywhere possible. With cross-country mountain biking, we get to go out and do intervals and super hard training sessions … and then also focus on the technical side."
Two years ago, MacPhee raced three times in the UCI World Cup's U23 division as natural talent and a penchant for aerobic endurance fuelled her athletic growth. Her first full World Cup season came in 2024, and she authored her first victory on May 23 in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic.
One hour, 20 minutes and 19 seconds is what MacPhee needed to finish her cross-country Olympic (XCO) race that day ahead of Swiss runner-up Fiona Schibler (1:20:36) and Sara Cortinovis of Italy (1:21:01).
"Oh, it's pretty crazy. I always set pretty high goals for myself, but winning a World Cup this year was not something I could have really anticipated or expected," said MacPhee. "It's always a dream. I think everybody dreams that they'll win a World Cup, but not everybody gets to, so it's a pretty surreal feeling.
"I prefer the cross country Olympic as it's always suited my strengths more, and I tend to get stronger at the end of races. With only 20 minutes for short track, it's a lot harder to have that, but I've had some breakthrough short track races as well this year I'm super proud of."
Balanced development
One of MacPhee's mentors, retired pro mountain biker Serena Tasca, was on hand to witness her inaugural World Cup breakthrough. The duo were matched up via Ride Like a Girl, a non-profit organization in British Columbia, at a time when MacPhee hadn't started racing yet. Now Tasca works for Vittoria, a key sponsor of the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team MacPhee represents.
It's a full-circle moment, to say the least.
These days MacPhee is coached by four-time Olympian Catharine Pendrel, who earned bronze at the Rio 2016 Games. She also thanks former coach Greg Day and former team Charge BC-XC for helping her unlock her potential.
"Catharine is exceptional," MacPhee remarked. "It's super cool for me to have someone that's won an Olympic medal and had World Championship titles because I can fully trust her. I know that she's listening and has experienced the same ups and downs as I have. She's connected to the process, too, thinking longevity rather than just right now, which is super important to me that I can be strong well into my elite career."
Balance is key to the Squamolian's physical and mental health. She follows the "80-20" rule: committing 80 per cent of her time to training and nutrition but leaving 20 per cent for hobbies and a personal life. Wilier-Vittoria is a good fit for her, as is pursuing a bachelor's degree in kinesiology at the University of Victoria.
As of this writing, MacPhee leads the XCO World Cup overall in her age bracket with 521 points earned by way of six podium appearances. She intends to fight tooth and nail for a top-three overall result, as well as add to her two bronze medals in the short track (XCC) discipline.
If she can impact a few others along the way, so much the better.
"Now I'm an ambassador for [Ride Like a Girl] so it's super cool to be able to work and connect with these local athletes," MacPhee said. "I always try and take the time to ride with the next generation and engage with them, too, letting the younger athletes know they can always reach out if they have any questions.
"I want to support them in any way possible to reach their goals. I know it can be a big step to make, reaching out and asking questions to people you look up to, but I don't want it to be a hard step."
