Coimbatore downhill rider on the thrill of mountain biking after two bronze medals

For someone who won a gold and a bronze at two consecutive National Mountain Bike (MTB) Championships, S Thilothamma does not own a downhill mountain bike. She has been depending on a trusty bike she borrowed from a friend. “I hope to be able to afford my own bike, a good one,” says the 25-year-old, who is freelancing in a bicycle spare parts startup in Coimbatore.

Thilothamma won bronze in the downhill category for women in the 22nd National MTB Championship held in February 2026 in Arunachal Pradesh and another bronze at the Asian MTB Series soon after in Himachal Pradesh. Downhill mountain biking is a style in which the rider goes down a steep, rough terrain, manoeuvring jumps and drops at speeds that can go up to 80 kmph. She completed a two-kilometre track in five minutes. “In India, especially in the South, there are very few women who are involved in downhill mountain biking,” she says.

Which is exactly why she took to the sport. Thilothamma, who is from Katpadi, came to Coimbatore to do her Bachelor’s in Engineering, followed by a Master’s degree. She was drawn to cycling from her school days, taking part in championships back home. But it was after she moved to Coimbatore that she attempted mountain biking. In 2023, she participated in the National selections on invitation from the Tamil Nadu Cycling Association.

Thilothamma during an event | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The selections were held in Kovaipudur and she entered with a borrowed cycle. “I fell several times, got hurt a lot,” she recalls. But she enjoyed every bit of it. She made it to the Nationals, which took place in Chandigarh a month later.

This was the 19th National MTB Championship, and she came sixth in cross country biking. “It was not easy, especially since the other participants had advanced bikes that can cost up to ₹12 lakhs. These provide the rider several advantages. For instance, mine weighed 18 kilograms whereas the bike of the person who came first was lighter,” she says, adding that they were professionals who had been practicing for years, and had the backing of sponsors.

For the event next year, she managed to buy a basic mountain bike that cost ₹50,000. “I was working in Decathlon then, and used my employee discount,” she says, adding: “I was only starting out.” It was in 2025 that she first attempted downhill mountain biking. As much as it is exciting, downhill biking comes with a lot of risks. Bikers hurtle at high speeds and can end up in situations that can place their lives in danger. Zooming through the ups and downs of mud tracks, the adrenaline rush she felt when she was briefly suspended in air during jumps: “It was a new completely new feeling,” she says.

In the 21st National MTB Championship in Chandigarh, she struck gold. But in another private championship in Meghalaya a few months later, she ended up fracturing her radial bone. “I was advised complete rest for two months,” she says. She was soon back on the track for the first Asian Series. “This was happening in India for the first time, and I learnt a lot from bikers from different countries, especially Indonesians,” she says.

The crash from 2025 does come back to haunt her every time she stands at the start line. But she knows she has to overcome it. Thilothamma continues to train, and has an eye on the gold in the upcoming Nationals. All through her journey, her mother R Vanitha has been with her, travelling with her for championships and waiting for her with bated breath at the finish line. “She has been my constant support, encouraging me despite financial constraints,” she says. Thilothamma hopes more women come forward to take up downhill biking. “My dream is to win at the Asian level, and a gold at the World Cup someday.”