KATIE MCGEACHY & EMILY ROBERTS Make Team Canada for World’s Biggest Trials Event

March 22, 2025

by Bowen Assman // from www.yukon-news.com

• Two women from Vernon, B.C. just proved that passion beats geography every time. KATIE MCGEACHY and EMILY ROBERTS earned spots on Team Canada for the 2025 Trials des Nations in Italy—the sport’s biggest stage—despite minimal local infrastructure forcing them to rack up serious road miles for training. Only three women total made the national team, and two are from the North Okanagan, which is pretty remarkable considering most Canadian trials talent typically comes from the Lower Mainland or Vancouver Island.
• Here’s what makes their story even better: they found each other through the sport and became best friends while mastering the art of motorcycle trials—a discipline that’s all about balance, control, and making impossibly precise throttle adjustments to conquer obstacles. MCGEACHY got hooked in 2022 after being mesmerized by riders “jumping really high and going over cool obstacles,” while ROBERTS transitioned from street biking and immediately fell in love with trials. Their obsessive practice-until-you’re-blue-in-the-face mentality is exactly what this technical sport demands.
• The reality check? These athletes are fundraising their own way to represent Canada because the government doesn’t recognize trials as a sport worthy of funding. We’re talking about competitors heading to the world’s most important motorcycle trials competition completely on their own dime, running community events and GoFundMe campaigns just to get there. It’s 2024 and we’re still watching talented women scramble for basic support while carrying the maple leaf on the international stage—but at least they’re not letting that stop them from being “some of the best ambassadors” for growing the sport.

british columbia, motorcycle trials, team canada, trials des nations