Powered by People - Leah Maunsell

Community 3 min read

17 Jul 2020

Writing a letter to Santa for a mountain bike was just the start of Leah Maunsell’s adventure. From a young age Leah’s passion for sports like running, orienteering and GAA was undeniable so when she got the opportunity to go mountain biking with her dad and brother, there was no stopping her.

Once she was riding for a while, Leah picked up her skills very quickly and with a natural competitive streak she started competing in cross country before she made the switch to Enduro about 5 years ago. Enduro mountain bike racing involves a race to the top of a mountain and a race to the bottom in a time-trial style.

She has had the opportunity to travel with her sport and has competed all around Europe including France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Austria and Madeira. Last year she got the opportunity to race in NorthStar, California, a memory she treasures and will never forget. Bikes have allowed Leah to travel the world doing something that she really loves and it is something she is very grateful for.



She says her family have been a huge influence and have contributed hugely to her success so far. “They have been by my side since the very start, supporting me every step of the way. It’s pretty much a family affair at this stage.” Although her mom doesn't ride bikes Leah says she works the hardest behind the scenes making everything so easy.

Leah’s club (Team Ballyhoura) have also played a major role. Her Dad was one of the founding members and she has been a member since day one. Having a close bunch of friends to train with every week has been a big advantage as she counts on them like a second family.

Leah is very thankful for the support from her club and local business sponsors including Mallow Credit Union who have supported her through her fast tracked career.


She clearly is on a quick track to the summit and her career highlight (so far) was last year where she came second in the World (U21 Women in the Enduro World Series). She’s won three rounds of the Enduro World Series (U21) and also is a x6 Elite National Enduro Champion, has multiple XC National Titles and a DH National Title.

Leah says it’s important for her to inspire young girls to take up mountain biking. Mountain biking has a falsely painted image that it’s a man’s sport and when she started there weren't many women racing. Leah had to race against the boys. But now there are so many more women involved and this this extremely encouraging. She would love to inspire more people and her message for anyone who is thinking of getting involved is to “Just give it a go!. Where ever there is a local trail, get in touch with the local club and link up with like-minded people.”

Leah Maunsell’s story has been told as part of our #PoweredByPeople series – a campaign which celebrates tales of community support – and highlights exactly what the credit union stands for: people helping people. If you’d like to get involved and tell your story, we’d be more than happy to hear it. Simply get in touch by contacting Jane at jdaly@creditunion.ie.