Peddling cookies for a US comeback

Former road race champion Courteney Lowe is selling cookies to make a comeback in the US. Photos: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

Forget the five-hour rides and the leg-burning, lung-busting hills – Tauranga's Courteney Lowe's cycling secret this year could well be chocolate.

The 25-year-old is heading back to the United States next month for another professional stint, hoping to shake an injury-ridden couple of seasons and get back to the form that made her the 2013 New Zealand road race champion.

To get there and compete, she's been baking up a storm. Chocolate, choc-mint and caramel-flavoured cookies have been flowing out of Somerset Cottage – the restaurant owned by her parents Anne and Rick – with the key ingredient supplied by local chocolate producer Solomons Gold.

'I've always loved to bake – I'm not much of a cook but I think at least the baking ability might've filtered down from my family,” says Courteney.

'It's a cool way to fundraise because everyone likes chocolate, it helps promote a cool new local company and it's a great way for me to wind down and relax when I'm not training.”

Somerset Cottage customers have been a key market, with excellent support from Tauranga Cycling Club members. The fundraising is especially important this season, because Courteney has decided against joining a professional team – at least, not immediately. Instead, she'll pick and choose the races she wants to ride, then hope to produce the results which will see one of the big teams pick her up.

Until then, she's focused on her comeback, following hip surgery on both sides of her body to clear blocked arteries.

'The last three or four years have been really frustrating. I've had two lots of surgery and they really knocked me around, mentally and physically. I've had a good break since November and I'm feeling better than I've ever felt.

'Coming home and training with Dad has been a breath of fresh air, because he helps out a lot and the club has been really supportive,” says Courteney.

Part of that comeback included skipping the New Zealand championships last month on advice from her coach, former British cycling Olympian Rachel Heal.

'My coach and I decided it I want to race well in America, I can't peak in January, which is hard because I love nationals.

'But it's actually been so good because I've had no stress and it's been mentally refreshing.”

To order cookies and support Courteney's cycling comeback, visit: www.courteneylowe.com/blog/118/Courteneys-Cookie-Sale

You may also like....

1 comment

THIS IS AWESOME

Posted on 13-02-2017 07:26 | By old trucker

Hope you do well in this adventure Courteney, Best of luck, will pop out and see if i can get some, you are the BEST.Thankyou Sunlive for this news,10-4 out.


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.