Robin Goomes made her name with a 41ft drop – but her journey to the top carried her to the bottom of the world.

The 24-year-old left behind life in Antarctica to make history as the first-ever women’s champion at Red Bull Rampage.

Goomes made history in a traditionally male-dominated sportRed Bull Content Pool

Goomes is not your average mountain biker.

From a disciplined life in the New Zealand army, to throwing out all the rules to enter the unpredictable world of professional biking, her story is one of courage, sacrifice, and relentless determination.

Earlier this month, the ‘Backflip Barbie’, a nod to her custom Barbie-themed bike, made history by winning Red Bull Rampage in Utah.

Her 85-point haul saw her top a seven-strong field in the big-mountain freeride competition with a stunning 12.5m (41ft) drop.

Goomes, who was already the first woman to land a backflip at a Speed and Style Crankworx event, landed another two at Red Bull Rampage to also claim the prestigious Utah Sports Commission Best Trick Award.

However, during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT, Goomes said: “Being the first for me is never what motivates me.”

She added: “I’m more motivated to just do it for myself and then hopefully just keep growing.”

That’s a mentality that has served Goomes her whole life having grown up in the remote Chatham Island in New Zealand, 800km off the coast of Christchurch where she was born.

The Chathams, the largest of the Pacific Ocean archipelago, has a resident population of just over 700 but an environment that lent itself to exploring the hills and beaches by dirt bike.

Goomes dabbled in Kiwi sports rugby and netball, but ‘sucked at them’ by her own definition. “As soon as I could get a bike, I did!” She insists.

An average day in the army saw Robin servicing and operating machines

From Bike ramps to Army boots

Goomes built trails and jumps as substitutes for the lack of tracks on the island, before branching into BMX while attending high school on the mainland – first in Christchurch and then in Auckland.

At 18-years-old upon her graduation, she enlisted in the army where she became a lance corporal and heavy machine operator.

One of her unique opportunities saw her provide support at Scott Base as one of the first females stationed at the New Zealand Antarctic research station.

She lived in the southernmost continent of the world for four months, working six days a week, with her days off consumed by skiing, snowboarding, and of course, biking.

“In Antarctica, we had a little ski field. It was just like a rope-toe set-up, and it was actually really cool. It was super fun,” Goomes explained to talkSPORT.

“It was volunteer-run by people on the base. So we’d go out there and get it going. And I was doing some snowboarding, and it was super sick. I was never, ever that good at it, it was just a bit of fun.

“I really enjoyed it, but never took it super seriously. But there were actually some fat bikes in Antarctica as well. So you could take the fat bikes out and go rip around on the snow and out on the ice shelf and stuff.

“It wasn’t as thrilling as mountain biking, but it definitely gave me the fix I was looking for!”

Goomes spent months living at Scott Base in AntarcticaGetty

While in the army, a friend introduced her to mountain biking, but it was the experience of travelling to the site of the South Pole that convinced her to make it a career.

“Professional athletes were always really sick, but I never really understood what it took or how to go from just like being a regular civilian with a day job to becoming a professional athlete,” Goomes added.

“Then when I went to Antarctica, I just met a bunch of people who were, like, living crazy, cool lives and doing things differently.

“I think that was when I just met enough people that were living differently, and that inspired me to just try take that path.”

Goomes continued: “It was one of those places living that just every single day was a crazy experience. The whole trip was definitely life-changing, and it’s a piece of experience that unless you’ve had, it is hard to comprehend.”

Once home from Antarctica, she left the army, but that was no easy decision, having received both support and scepticism for chasing her dreams.

She said: “Professional mountain biking was way more concerning for family and friends. When I joined the army, it’s quite a proud moment for parents and friends to be like, ‘yeah, she’s joining the army’.

“You’re serving your country. So they’re like, ‘wow, amazing’. Whereas when you basically give up a career to try and do something that’s a little bit washy and you’re not really sure if it’s going to work out and you’re just like, wasting all your money travelling and trying to just do the sketchy stuff, it doesn’t feel like it’s realistic for someone to throw away a career to chase this dream.

“I definitely got looked at sideways for that one!”

Goomes started a casual job shuttle bus-driving in Rotorua for around five months to support her training before saving enough cash to voyage to Queenstown. “Just jobless and living in a van!” She admits.

Goomes won the first Red Bull Rampage women’s competitionLong Nguyen/Red Bull Content Pool

She pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in women’s freeride mountain biking

I felt invincible – until my first bike injury

The physical challenges in the military were gruelling, with training exercises stretching for 72 hours straight.

However, Goomes thrived in the structure that had been turned upside down since pursuing racing full-time. “We’d carry everything on our backs, with minimal food, physically and mentally drained, and you just go day and night. You don’t stop. You might sleep a couple of hours if you’re lucky.”

That was tough, but it wasn’t until she left the army and entered the world of professional biking that she truly felt vulnerable.

“In the army, I was the fittest I’ve ever been. I felt invincible, kinda crazy to think but until I got my first mountain bike injury, I honestly thought I was unstoppable!”

Injuries aren’t just physical setbacks, they carry a financial burden.

While in the army, staying physically and mentally fit was a necessity for battle. In biking, the pressure of balancing her progress and staying healthy for sponsorships remained.

“It’s this crazy loop where you have to not care about injuries, but then it’s a weird dynamic of like, trying to keep sponsors happy because that’s your job, but also, like, push yourself and get better.”

Goomes made history on her custom Barbie-themed Yeti SB 165Instagram robin_riding_hood

The mountain bike sensation explained her surprise link to BarbieInstagram robin_riding_hood

Having left the army in 2020, Goomes was making history at Red Bull Rampage a mere four years later.

Her crowning triumph was a trailblazing moment in women’s mountain biking.

Therefore it was only fitting that she did it in style aboard her Custom Barbie-themed Yeti SB 165 – honouring the blockbuster 2023 film that broke down stereotypes to champion a journey of personal growth.

On her newfound association with the Mattel fashion doll franchise, Goomes concluded: “Margot Robbie’s sick, but it was the character Barbie that I really loved. It was like, a year ago I watched the Barbie movie.

“As a kid growing up, I was such a tomboy and not into Barbie at all and it was just that image of what you thought it was versus how they like portrayed it in the movie was like, she’s like, the strong, independent, like, tough, bad b****.

“I think Barbie is sick now, after watching that movie and being like, yeah, it’s not just like, girly bimbo s***, it’s f****** she’s tough as!”

Someone who has mastered a transition of army drills to mountain trails has more than earned the right to be the authority on ‘bad b******’ that are ‘f****** tough as’…