Rachael Eagle Founded Gitch in 2004 because she wanted to help young women get involved in active, extreme sports often dominated by men. Rachel has been a competitive Moto Cross rider for a number of years and knows too well how difficult it can be being a female competitor in a male dominated sport. Frustrated by the difficulty in getting publicity and sponsorship Rachael decided it was time to turn the tables and founded Gitch to raise the profile of female competitors in extreme sports.

Profile
Rachael Eagle has never been able to just sit and watch. At 4 years old she was racing BMX bikes competitively along side her brother. At 14 she was representing NSW in speed skating (roller), at 18 she was competing in Martial Arts events, at 24 she was riding a road racing YZF-R6 motorcycle on the track at Eastern Creek, and at 25 when she watched her boyfriend and his mates riding dirt bikes there was no way anyone would stop her from having a go.

Since then Rachael hasn't looked back, placing 2nd in the 2003 Fly Racing Clubman Challenge Series, 4th in the 2003 NSW Women's Challenge and 1st in the 2003 Women's Oakdale Open event. Rachael has big plans for 2005, having secured major sponsorship with Doric Products; her goal is to place in the top 3 in every event. So far she has NSW Amcross, Australian Outdoor National Motocross, Senior State Titles, Stadium Cross and a number of club events in her sights.

Since the age of 17 Rachael wanted to join the police force. With her father living in the United States there was thoughts about moving to the USA and joining the Las Vegas police department. In 2001 she finally decided to fulfill her dream and commenced training at the police academy in September of 2001. Since completing her training she has been stationed in the Sydney Metropolitan area “I like the challenge that the police force brings, everyday is different and there is always the chance of helping someone out. There are many different areas that you can branch into, my goal is to join the police prosecutors in about 4-5 years.”

How did you get started in Motocross?
My father and brother have ridden dirt bikes all their lives. My 4 year old brother would double me around the yard on my dad's bike, I was only 3 at the time. When I was 5 I had an accident on a bike I burned my stomach and lost all my confidence. It took a few years before I would really have a go again. But as for racing it all started in 2000 after watching my boyfriend race. I decided that I wanted to give it a go, but stopping work and going to the police meant I wouldn't have been able to afford the insurance on my road bike so I decided to buy and race a motocross bike.

Are there any riders who you look up to?
I would have to say that I look up to Michael Byrne, Andrew McFarlene and Chad Reed. They have all taken that next step and raced with some of the worlds top riders in Europe and the United States. They are starting to make overseas team's realise that there are talented riders here in Australia.

How often do you train?
As for bike training I like to be on the bike at least one day during the week and then depending on if we have to travel to a race meet I like to ride on Saturday and then race on Sundays. This is all depending however on my work and travel commitments. I do weight training about 3 days a week. Now that the race season has started I will be training 4-5 days a week at the gym.

Long term where are you headed in the sport?
Eventually I would like to race in the United States with the top female riders. There is a lot to learn from riding in the USA. This has been proven with Chad Reed. I would like to get more girls involved in the sport (racing and recreational) and break down the stereotypically thought that motorbikes are just for the blokes. It would be good to see women's racing get recognition like the males, the girls out there are just as competitive as the them. This stands for all motorsports across the board, including V8 supercars, road racing, go-karts, formula fords, jet boats, jet skis etc.

Why did you start Gitch?
I have always been involved in sports that usually don’t have a high number of female competitors. I find it exciting yet scary all in the same breath. Throughout my years in different sports I have brought magazines and read websites in the hope of seeing the other talented females in the sport and to get tips from these athletes. Unfortunately females are rarely recognised for the achievements in male sports, and I wanted to change this attitude. I decided to start the GITCH website to show case the talent of the many extreme sportswomen that we have in this country, also to give advice of up and coming events and activities as well as a place for female competitors to thank the people that have helped them reach their goals.

What are your plans for Gitch?
I hope eventually for GITCH to be the largest all female extreme sports website. I want it to be a source of information, for events, news, achievements etc for all sports. I want new female competitors to have a place to go to get information about how to join or ‘what to do next’. My goal also is to help competitors to secure sponsorship for their efforts, as well as eventually sponsors events and offer prize money and awards. I really want this to be the largest source of information for all extreme sports, but we need your help. Please consider becoming a member of GITCH.