Lee Craigie - Other Ways To Win

A little before 1.30 PM on Sunday 21 July 2013, Lee Craigie crossed the finish line at Cathkin Braes in the southern outskirts of Glasgow several minutes ahead of her nearest competitor to become the British cross-country mountain bike champion. Lee’s win was the culmination of seven years of training and sacrifice, but it marked the beginning of the end of her competitive career. Less than a year later, at the same venue, this time representing her native Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, she crossed the line and quit professional bike racing for good.

Lee Craigie is one of Scotland’s great bike racers, yet she has accomplished much more since retiring. Join Lee on stage as she tells her story of growing up near Glasgow and discovering the freedom of cycling – how she raced into a new life of two-wheeled adventure to have a positive impact on the lives of others, particularly encouraging other women through her work with the Adventure Syndicate. Join her as she recounts epic adventures along the Tour Divide, Silk Road and the Highland Trail 550, and examines themes of friendship, loss, identity and the power of the outdoors – and, of course, cycling.

Lee’s book 'Other Way's to Win' will be available to purchase at the Festival book store over the Festival weekend.

There will be a book signing straight after the event.

Published by Vertebrate Publishing.

About Lee Craigie

Lee Craigie began cycling while at school and discovered mountain biking in 2006. She went on to compete internationally in cross-country mountain biking and represented Great Britain at the 2011 and 2012 World Championships. She joined the Cannondale team in 2013 and later that year became the British champion after winning the senior women’s race at the British championships in Glasgow. Lee represented Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and in 2016 she became the UK 24-hour MTB champion. After retiring from full-time racing, she went on to set records on several self-supported bikepacking races at home and abroad.

In 2009, Lee founded Cycletherapy, a Scottish Government-supported project that used mountain biking to engage marginalised young people in the Scottish Highlands. In 2016, she launched The Adventure Syndicate to offer an alternative female sporting role model. Between 2018 and 2022 she was Scotland’s Active Nation Commissioner, working independently of government to ensure the provision of fair, accessible spaces where everyone in Scotland can benefit from being active everyday, promoting the health, environmental, social and economic benefits to everyone who lives, works in or visits Scotland.