Carly Hibberd facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 May 1985 Sherwood, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 6 July 2011 (aged 26) Lurate Caccivio, Italy |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road bicycle racing |
Carly Hibberd (born May 11, 1985 – died July 6, 2011) was an amazing Australian professional road racing cyclist. She competed in big international races organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Carly won the Australian National Criterium Championships in 2008. She also came second in the Tour de Perth that same year.
Carly started riding BMX bikes at age six. Later, she moved on to mountain biking and then to road cycling. She began competing professionally in 2004. Sadly, Carly was hit by a car while training in Italy and passed away from her injuries. A special memorial trophy and a park in Toowoomba are named after her to remember her achievements.
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Carly's Early Life and Cycling Journey
Carly Hibberd was born on May 11, 1985, in Sherwood, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. Her parents were Mark and Roslyn Hibberd, and she had one brother.
When she was six, Carly started racing BMX bikes in Toowoomba. She often raced with Jared Graves, who also became a professional cyclist. Around 1997, her family moved to the Sunshine Coast. Later, Carly tried mountain biking. In 2000, she was introduced to road cycling through a special program that helps find talented athletes. She chose road cycling because it offered more chances for her career.
Carly went to boarding school. From 2005 to 2007, she received a scholarship to the Queensland Academy of Sport. She also became a member of the Ipswich Cycling Club.
Becoming a Professional Cyclist
In 2004, Carly won the Tenthill Classic road race. She officially started her professional cycling career in 2005. That year, she competed in the Geelong Tour and the New Zealand World Cup.
In 2006, Carly finished 21st in the Australian National Championships time trial. She was 25th in the road race. She also came second in a road race and third in a criterium event in the Women's National Grand Prix Series. Soon after, she finished third at the Grafton to Glen Innes Cycle Classic.
Carly was sick for some time in 2007, which meant she missed several races. However, she still managed to finish second in the 2007 Australian National Criterium Championships in the Elite category. In 2008, riding with the MD Cycles Team, Carly earned enough points in six races to win the overall 2008 Australian National Criterium Championships.
Carly received a special invitation, called a wild card, to compete in the 2008 Geelong World Cup, where she finished 13th. She then raced in the Women's Tour of New Zealand and came second at the Tour de Perth.
In 2009, Carly joined the Cassina Rizzardi A Style Fionucci team and moved to Italy. She really wanted to qualify for big events like the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games. During this time, she took part in many important races, including the Grand Prix de Dottignies, the Emakumeen Euskal Bira, and the Giro d'Italia Femminile.
In 2010, Carly continued to compete in major races like the Gracia–Orlová and the Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin. Before the 2011 season, she moved to the Cassina Rizzardi A Style Fionucci team. She competed in two more events: the GP Liberazione and the GP Comune di Cornaredo. Carly was planning to marry her fiancé, Cameron Rogers, in October 2011.
Carly's Passing
On July 6, 2011, Carly was training with her friend and fellow cyclist Diego Tamayo. The weather was good. They were on a road between Appiano Gentile and Lurate Caccivio, north of Milan, Italy. Around 10:45 AM, a car driven by a friend hit Carly.
According to Diego, Carly was about 50 meters behind him when the car turned left and hit her. Her riding helmet came off, and she passed away instantly from her injuries. Diego tried to help her, and paramedics arrived by helicopter, but it was too late. On July 29, Carly's funeral was held at the Ashgrove Baptist Church in Brisbane. Her family and friends attended to remember her.
Carly's Legacy
After Carly's passing, the organisers of the 2011 Giro d'Italia Femminile cancelled the awards ceremony for one of its stages to show their respect. The Australian riders competing in the race wore black armbands to remember Carly. They also asked for a moment of silence before the next stage began.
Carly's first coach, David Budden, created the Carly Hibberd Memorial Trophy in 2012. Carly's father agreed to the idea. This trophy is given to a "tenacious female rider" – meaning a determined and strong female rider. Carly's parents present the award at the Toowoomba BMX Club's open day to the rider who best shows these qualities.
On January 20, 2015, the Toowoomba Regional Council voted to name a park after Carly. This park is in their "Cycling Estate" on Nelson Street, Kearneys Spring. This happened after David Budden worked hard to have Carly remembered in this way.
