ZIMBABWE mountain biking star Stacey Hyslop is heading to Victoria Falls this weekend for a three-day stage race, giving local fans and sponsors a rare chance to watch her compete on Zimbabwean soil.
She is billed to participate in the Zambezi Cycle Challenge, an intriguing mountain bike race that takes riders through wildlife sanctuaries, elephant trails and along the Batoka Gorge.
Hyslop, who has built her reputation on the international circuit, said the decision to race at home was an easy one.
"I thought it would be good to support a local race back home so that sponsors can see me racing in Zimbabwe too," she said.
The Victoria Falls event will also be new territory for the rider personally, while she is raced national championships domestically before, this will be her first home stage race.
"I have only raced national champs at home, never a stage race at home," she said.
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Though the race holds no weight in the race toward LA28 Olympic qualification, Hyslop was quick to point out that it holds something arguably just as valuable.
"It's always special to come home to race on Zim soil and engage with fellow Zimbabwean cyclists," she said.
For Hyslop, races like this one are about more than competition, they are about connection.
"It's always great to get an opportunity to inspire younger cyclists and to put a face to the name so people know who they are backing and who is showing off their brands internationally," she said.
Whether she is flying the flag on foreign courses or riding through Zimbabwean bush trails, Hyslop continues to show what home support means, for her, and for the brands and young riders watching her fly.