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We talk to Rachael Burnside, Founder of Uplift and Head of Marketing and Growth at SHIFT Active Media, about Uplift’s role in preventing industry attrition and fostering professional growth for women in the cycling industry.
I’d love to hear about the beginnings of Uplift. What was the spark that ignited the idea, and how did it evolve from that initial thought to the program we see today?
I was very fortunate to have a mentor when I started in the cycling industry, my MD and CEO at the time, both realised there was a need if I was to thrive and grow in cycling.
I was then entered into a mentorship program that was outside of cycling, as the MD, now CEO, Wayne Brown, felt it would be beneficial for me to learn from women outside of cycling, to allow cycling to grow and learn from other industries.
Four years later, I realised I was still one of only a few in cycling who’d had a mentor. People were starting to ask me to mentor their rising stars, but 1. I wasn’t sure I was the best person 2. I was the only person…
So I went about creating Uplift and talking about all I’d learned from being mentored, pulling all the amazing women I work with together, asking my male allies if they could recommend women to be mentors… the rest is history!
I’m curious about the impact of the mentor/mentee pairings. How do you, if at all, gauge the effectiveness or progress of these relationships? And, if you do gather feedback, what kind of insights do you gain from the pairs, and how does that inform the ongoing development of Uplift?
Our mentees are excellent at proactively sharing feedback, as they’re very aware that the programme relies entirely on individuals volunteering their free time. They regularly express how their experiences are impacting them, which provides us with valuable insights.
From previous mentee and mentor feedback, we’ve learned that experiences can differ significantly depending on roles. For instance, a female marketing manager faces different challenges compared to a female working in a technical role like mechanics. This highlighted the need for us to carefully consider the specific contexts and backgrounds when pairing mentors and mentees, and make sure we had a wider spread. We’ve also recognised the limitation that arises when mentorship is only available in English, which restricts accessibility and inclusivity.
We take these insights directly into our planning processes. For instance, we’ve adjusted the structure of the programme – this time assigning each mentee a dedicated mentor to facilitate longer and more in-depth sessions. Not two or three mentors, for shorter sessions like we did in 2024. This change recognises the importance of everyone’s time, aiming for greater value and deeper engagement between mentors and mentees.
You’ve had a very interesting career, from advertising to the cycling industry, as well as Founder of Uplift. What personal experiences or observations shaped your understanding of the challenges and opportunities for women in our industry?
SO, I actually think my career is quite linear! Started in advertising agencies, working with the likes of the government on their ‘Healthier/5 a day, 10k steps/stop smoking’ campaigns, to working in automotive. During this time, I commuted by bike, rode indoors at the gym, and was a leisure cyclist at the weekend (at the time I would have said I was a cyclist.. But looking back, not sure that’s quite true. But equally I annoy myself with that view, as anyone who rides a bike is a cyclist!)
So when I saw the job at SHIFT, an agency doing everything I’d done for six years….but just on cycling brands, I was like ‘SIGN ME UP’.
BUT, what I did notice was that the women leaders and clients I’d had in previous years were nowhere to be seen. Well, there was a small handful. But I also saw there was so much opportunity.
Cycling as an industry holds immense opportunities because it is still evolving. The people I met, clients I worked with, were also eager to listen to new perspectives, yet the absence of women, especially compared to other sectors I’d previously worked in, highlighted a gap.
What I learnt over five years was that sometimes some women need just a bit more encouragement and guidance to step forward and voice their perspectives confidently. The enthusiasm and openness within cycling mean there’s a willingness to embrace these views.
Welcome Uplift. And the rest is history!
Uplift has become more than a mentorship program; it’s a community. Can you paint a picture of what that currently looks like?
The Women in Cycling Industry programme, which was conceived and developed by SHIFT, but very much gifted back to the community, helped to expand its reach to over 700 women working in cycling (who help each other with anything and everything). We’ve held eight events around the world and connected over 80 mentees with leading female cycling industry mentors to help find the next generation of leaders who will go on to positively shape the growth of the industry and the sport.
When you reflect on the past few years, what aspects of Uplift have surprised you the most? Has anything unexpected happened?
The friends I have made. The friends others have made. I talk to some of the women that I met along the way almost every single day. I would say they have become some of my best friends.
You’ve brought together an impressive network of mentors. Why do you think so many of these women are so willing to freely dedicate their time and expertise?
Because they know the opportunities for all of us, if we get this right. And they care. And they are kind.
Beyond gender, how do you see Uplift contributing to a more inclusive and equitable cycling industry? Have you noticed conversations happening within the community around broader diversity issues?
The truth is, this is hard. Gender is one issue, but others are just as important, but in an even worse state… I’d love for Uplift to tackle other diversity issues, but I have stuck to what I believe I can control and make happen. I would love more support to tackle other diversity issues… anyone?
What has been the most personally rewarding aspect of creating and leading Uplift?
How it makes people feel. Watching women rise. When mentees message me post-session, in such a positive space with a new outlook. That fills me with the most happiness. We’ve had 18 promotions in 18 months!
The last two years of my life have had some almighty lows, which in a large part was why I started Uplift – but the highs have been so high – that everything balanced out perfectly. Uplift holds an incredibly special place in my heart – far beyond the stats and the quotes.
How can other organisations or individuals in the cycling industry support Uplift?
Uplift is all free, no one pays any money, no one gets paid. I needed to make sure there were no barriers to 
people getting any support, but I would love one day to have some funding to get some more support – to help more women/other diversity categories, and make Uplift available to more people, globally.
I want to launch a male ally programme – I have had so many, but I’ve got to pick off the things I can achieve, one at a time!
There’s no denying that Uplift is making a tangible difference for the women involved, and that’s fantastic. But when you step back and look at the cycling industry as a whole, from your perspective, what are your thoughts on the overall progress being made in attracting and retaining women as cyclists and as professionals? Are we doing enough, or are there still gaps to address?
This is a big question. We’re currently STILL navigating a turbulent period, but I firmly believe once stability returns, we’ll see substantial progress. I am confident that we will make bigger moves to do the ‘right thing’ – by right thing, I mean the right thing for businesses based on the opportunities ahead.
It’s important to clarify that Uplift isn’t specifically about increasing the number of women who ride bikes – it’s about retaining and empowering women within the cycling industry professionally. However, women’s cycling often serves as a unifying factor.
Looking at recent statistics, the momentum is encouraging:
– Women cyclists were the fastest-growing demographic in the Garmin community in 2024, with a 9% increase in cycling activities year-over-year.
– Strava recorded an 11% rise in women’s cycling participation.
– Global search trends from Google indicated a 27.33% uptick in interest for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, underscoring worldwide enthusiasm for women’s road cycling.
– Life Time UNBOUND Gravel, presented by Shimano, experienced a 19% year-over-year increase in women’s participation, showcasing growth across various cycling disciplines.
– Rapha Women’s 100 participation surged by 40% last fall, marking its most successful year yet.
And I mentioned Uplift’s promotions above. And those also stopped women from leaving the industry.
These figures indicate we’re headed in the right direction. In most cases, women are leading the charge on these initiatives. What am I trying to say? Hang tight, I am a strong believer that stability, then growth, is coming.
There will always be gaps in anything – let’s chase progress, not perfection.
